The Naboo Chronicles
by Kittenmommy
Summary: AU fic in which Anakin never turns to the Dark Side. Includes Sabe's Big Fat Nubian Wedding AND possibly the FIRST EVER Star Wars meets St. Elsewhere crossover!
1. Chapter 1 - 3

# "The Naboo Chronicles"- Chapters 1 – 3

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: The Star Wars characters belong to George Lucas.The others belong to me.I'm not making any money from this.

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Chapter 1

"No!" Padmé yelled."It will never happen!I will not allow it!"

"The twins have a midichlorian count that is almost off the scale," Anakin reminded her.

"I don't care if they are the living personification of the Force, they are only four years old, and they are not leaving this planet!" she said.  
"They must be sent to the Temple, Padmé." Anakin said in what he thought was a reasonable tone of voice.

"I forbid it," she said coldly, angrily."We of the Naboo do not send our children away!"

"They are my children too," he reminded her quietly."They must be trained in the ways of the Force.They will be powerful Jedi one day.Master Yoda has foreseen it."

"They will be trained here or they will not be trained at all," she said just as quietly."Go and tell your Master Yoda that the Queen has spoken."

Sabé sat at her dressing table, gazing into the mirror.For the past two weeks, she had been desperately trying to ignore the message her body was sending her.She knew she must do something soon, but exactly what she should do eluded her.There was a tap at the door.Sighing, she rose to answer it.Two small children stood in her doorway.

"Mummy and Daddy are fighting," little Leia said, her brown velvet eyes large and serious.

"They're fighting about us," her brother Luke added."I think we must have done something very bad, because Daddy wants to send us away."

"Oh my precious little ones," Sabé said, kneeling and taking the troubled children into her arms."You haven't been bad, and your daddy doesn't WANT to send you away," she reassured them."He wants you to go to the Jedi Temple to be trained so you can grow up to be Jedi Knights just like him.You'd like that, wouldn't you?"Sniffling, Luke nodded.

"Mummy won't let him send us away," Leia said suddenly."I know it.She wants us to be trained here, and she ALWAYS gets what she wants." Sabé had to smile at that._Would that that were true for me as well,_ she thought.Suddenly, she winced as Luke hugged her tightly, pressing her swollen, tender breasts painfully against her body.

"Not so hard, Luke," she gasped."You're a big, strong boy.You must be more gentle."He lowered his head.

"Sorry, Aunt," he said."I didn't mean to hurt you."_And his hug shouldn't have hurt,_ she thought.She sighed, firmly pushing the growing certainty to the back of her mind.

"Trained your children must be!" Yoda's holographic image insisted.Queen Amidala leaned forward on her throne.Anakin stood on her right, arms crossed, frowning.

"They are not leaving this planet," she told him with cold finality.

"Understand, you do not." he sighed."Resisted the lure of the Sith your husband did.Even so, hiding somewhere still the Sith Lord is.Training an apprentice he may be.Crucial your children are if we are to fight the Darkness.Born for this purpose they were."

"I have tried to explain - " Anakin began.

"Master Yoda," Padmé said quietly, cutting her husband off."Understand this: under no circumstances am I sending my children to the Jedi Temple for fostering.I care not if they were born for it.They will be trained here on Naboo or not at all."Yoda sighed, bowing his head in thought.

"Very well," he said quietly."Master Windu I will send.Formally test them, he will.Decide how to proceed afterwards, we shall."Padmé nodded.

"Then it is well," she said.Yoda raised his head.To Padmé's surprise, he was smiling with approval.

"A formidable opponent are you, Your Majesty.Your strength and determination your children have inherited.Powerful Jedi they will be, powerful Jedi."

"We will see," she said.Yoda shook his head, still smiling.

"May the Force be with you, Queen Amidala of Naboo."The hologram winked out of existence.Padmé turned to her husband and smiled.

"I think that went rather well," she said.He shook his head.

"It certainly went better than I thought it would," he replied.He smiled."I wonder if anyone has ever stood up to Yoda before," he mused. 

"There is a first time for everything, my husband," she said, smiling.

"Where could she be?" Padmé asked, irritated.She hurried up the corridor that housed the handmaidens' suites."It's not like her to forget her duties."Rabé shook her head.

"I saw her last at the briefing last night," she told Padmé."She was careful to tell us all we would need to know about the meeting today, but she made no mention of leaving the Palace.Perhaps she is still asleep."

"I doubt it, Rabé," Padmé said."I doubt she's ever overslept even once in her life."The handmaiden shrugged.

"I see no other explanation, Your Majesty," she replied.They had reached Sabé's apartments, and now Padmé stopped and rang the door chime.After a few moments without a response, she rang it again.

"Sabé?" she called."Are you in there?It's Padmé."She rang the buzzer again, her brow creased with worry."Sabé?"Rabé gave the Queen a nervous look.

"I don't like this, Your Majesty.Something is wrong."

"I agree," she said quietly.She moved to a panel beside the door and began punching in the lock override codes.The doors slid open."Oh my gods!" she cried. Sabé lay facedown on the floor in her dressing gown, a spreading pool of crimson beneath her.The Queen ran in and knelt at the handmaiden's side, feeling for a pulse.She looked up at Rabé, who was riveted to the spot in shock."GET HELP!" Padmé screamed.Rabé fled.

Palpatine was only half-listening to the debate going on between the Twi'lek and Neimoidian representatives.It always seemed to be the same story: each side wanted all the concessions without making any of their own.He sometimes wished he were once again simply the senator from Naboo.For one thing, the senator from Naboo could have left when things got unbearably boring.The Supreme Chancellor could not. He sighed.Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small pod carrying a senate page and his personal assistant floating towards his podium.His PA had a worried look on her face.As the pod reached his podium, Palpatine held his hand up for silence and turned to give his attention to the new arrivals.

"What is it, Sara?" he asked his PA.

"Queen Amidala called.She says you must go home at once."

"Why?What's happened?"She lowered her eyes.

"Someone you care for is very ill," she said quietly.Her eyes swept over the thousands of beings that waited expectantly for things to continue."It would not be proper to discuss it further here."He nodded.

"Very well."He turned his attention back to the assembled Senate, trying very hard not to allow his apprehension to show on his face."I have an emergency at home I must attend to," he told them."Bail Antilles of Alderaan will chair the proceedings until my return.The Senate is adjourned for the morning."

"You must come home, Chancellor," the Queen's holographic image told him.She looked tired and worried.

"Yes, my secretary is making the arrangements as we speak," he replied."Please, tell me what's happened."

"It's Sabé," Padmé said quietly."An hour ago I found her unconscious in her apartments.She has lost a lot of blood."

"My gods, what happened?Was she attacked?"

"No, she was not attacked.She…"

"She what?" he demanded.Padmé sighed.

"She has suffered a miscarriage," Padmé finally said.

"WHAT?"He was stunned."I had no idea she was pregnant."

"Nor did I.And she told no one else, evidently.The healers have taken her to the medicenter.As I said, she has lost a great deal of blood.The healers say she has an infection in her womb, and that the infection has gone into her blood.They are giving her massive doses of antibiotics, but I am afraid…" she sighed and her shoulders slumped."I am afraid she is not expected to live."He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands.Finally he spoke.

"I will be there as quickly as I can."

As it turned out, the quickest way for Palpatine to get back to Naboo was aboard the ship chartered by the Jedi Council to carry Master Windu to the small Outer Rim world.Palpatine spent most of the two-day journey sequestered in his cabin, calling Padmé so many times for updates on Sabé's progress that he began to believe that his bill for calls would rival the budget of a small planetary government.Master Windu went to see him once to ask if there were anything that he could do to help.

"I'm afraid not, Master Windu," Palpatine sighed."Not unless you are capable of long-distance healing."Though it had been said lightly, Windu saw the hope in Palpatine's eyes, the hope that Windu would say, 'Of course, old fellow.Let me just sit down here and meditate for awhile and everything will be fine.'He laid a hand on Palpatine's shoulder.

"She will live, Chancellor"

"Oh yes?"

"Yes.I have seen it.I have seen her - " Abruptly, he fell silent, frowning._How can this be?_ he thought._I must meditate._

"You've seen her what?" Palpatine asked, bringing him back to the present.

"It's not important," he said."Get some sleep.All will be well."

"Let me guess," Palpatine said."You have foreseen it."Windu beamed.

"See that?" he said gently."Now you're catching on!"

The Royal party waited silently for the transport to land.A full compliment of guards, commanded by Captain Panaka, stood at attention around them.As protocol demanded, the Queen and her handmaidens stood apart from Anakin and the children.Queen Amidala looked pale and worried, while her husband looked tired and apprehensive.The children, picking up on their parents' moods, were quiet and subdued.

"Your Majesty," Palpatine greeted the Queen, bowing formally.She nodded, suddenly unable to speak as tears flooded her eyes.Silently, she stepped forward to embrace him.Anakin watched her, a slight frown on his face.Though he had been a Jedi Knight for quite some time now, he remained in awe of Master Windu, and he had desperately wanted to impress Windu with all of the pomp and circumstance of the Naboo Court.His wife's behavior detracted from the stately atmosphere he had hoped to achieve.

"Master Windu," he said, stepping forward."Please forgive my wife's inattention to protocol."Windu smiled benevolently.

"Of course, Anakin.Those two have a lot on their minds now," he said, gesturing towards Padmé and Palpatine as they walked arm in arm towards a waiting hovercar, the Queen's handmaidens trailing a respectful distance behind."But as I told the Chancellor, the young woman will live."

"Are you sure, sir?" the small towheaded boy asked.Windu knelt, putting himself on the child's level.

"Am I sure?Of course."

"How do you know?" his sister asked.Windu smiled.

"I have seen it." 

"Through the Force," Luke said.It wasn't a question, but he nodded anyway.

"That's right."

"I see things all the time," Leia told Windu."I see things that aren't there anymore.Sometimes I dream about things that haven't happened yet.Daddy said not to worry about it."In a flash of vision, Windu suddenly saw this serious little girl grown to adulthood, a regal, somber young Jedi Knight.He blinked and saw her again, older now, robed and crowned as the Queen of the Naboo.He blinked again, dispelling the vision.

"And what about you, young man?" he asked Luke.

"Sometimes I dream that I'm a Jedi like Daddy," he said quietly."Mostly I dream about Daddy, though.I dream that he and Uncle Obi are fighting a man in a long black robe."Windu looked up at Anakin and saw his shocked expression.He gave Anakin an almost imperceptible nod.Though Windu would formally test them, there was really no need.He knew in his heart that these children were born Jedi and must be trained at all costs, even if it meant allowing them to remain here on Naboo for the duration.As he listened to the children babble about their favorite toys and the games they enjoyed, he began thinking about how he would present the situation to Yoda.

Sabé felt like she was floating in a dream.She felt lighter than air, as though if she could only figure out how to let go, she would go floating off into the sky like a balloon.She dreamed visions.She saw a man in black robes standing on a balcony overlooking Coruscant.He stretched out his hand and closed it into a fist, crushing the empty air.

"My baby," she moaned."Ah gods, he's crushing my baby, he's killing my baby!"She surfaced briefly, hearing people around her speaking with a sharp clarity that made their voices sound unreal.

"No, Chancellor, she doesn't know what she's saying."

"You'll have to leave now.She's going into shock again."

"Your Majesty, please.You both must leave."She felt a needle slide into her vein, and once more she drifted.She heard someone calling her name.

"Mom?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm here, Sabé."It was indeed her mother - but her both of her parents had died years ago in a Trade Federation concentration camp.That would mean…

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet, sweetheart," her mother told her."But if you stay here much longer, you will not be able to go back."

"I don't want to go back!I want to stay here with you!"

"It is not your time yet, Sabé.Your tasks among the living are not yet complete," her mother told her.Sabé felt herself being pushed."You must go back."

She was being pushed harder, squeezed and compressed, then a sudden sensation of confinement._Ah, but I wanted to float away…_Slowly she became aware of a myriad of discomforts: needles in her arms, a dull thudding in her head, and the parched feel of her mouth and throat.Worst of all was the slow cramping ache in her abdomen as her empty womb clenched around nothingness.She opened her eyes.

"Sabé?Can you hear me?"She turned her head towards the sound of Palpatine's voice and smiled weakly.

"You're really here," she croaked."I thought I dreamed you."

"Of course I'm here," he murmured, stroking her hair.

"I dreamed… many things," she said hoarsely, recalling her vision of the man in black robes.She shuddered.

"Are you thirsty, darling?" Palpatine asked solicitously.

"Yes."He held her head up so she could sip from a cup of water he held.

"Better?" he asked.Lacking the energy to nod, she simply sighed gratefully.She looked up at him.His clothing was rumpled, as though it had been slept in for a couple of nights.There were circles under his eyes and a few days' worth of stubble on his face.

"You look like hell," she told him, smiling.

"You're not exactly a beauty contest winner yourself at the moment," he said, but he was smiling too."You don't know how happy I am to see you awake," he said quietly.He squeezed her hand."I thought I'd lost you, Sabé."

"You won't get rid of me that easily," she told him jokingly.

"You're awake!" Padmé exclaimed from the doorway.She hurried into the room."We were so worried about you!"Gently, she took Sabé's other hand."How do you feel?"

"Like Palpatine looks," she replied, a glint of humor in her eye.Padmé glanced up at him.

"That bad, huh?"she commiserated jokingly. Sabé laughed weakly.

"You try sleeping - or, rather, napping intermittently - in this chair for three nights and see how you look, Your Majesty," he said tartly.Padmé smiled.

"He hasn't left your side since he arrived, Sabé," the Queen told her."If I hadn't brought him food, he would have starved."

"I had no idea he cared so much," Sabé replied, and this time there was no humor in her tone.Padmé shot Palpatine a look."I'm surprised the medicenter personnel allowed him to stay here like that," Sabé continued.

"Well," Padmé said, "I seem to recall a rather heated discussion between the healers and the Chancellor on that very subject.As you can see, he got what he wanted."

"I usually do," Palpatine murmured.

"I have tested Anakin's children, and it is as we expected," Mace Windu told the holographic image of Yoda."Both are intelligent, intuitive, inquisitive, mature for their age, and extremely gifted with the Force.True Jedi material."Yoda nodded.

"This I have sensed.Often it is so with twins.Doubled the Force power is in them.Brought here for training they must be."Windu shook his head.

"The Queen will never allow it," he told Yoda.

"Mmm… yes, dealt with her once concerning this matter already I have.Stubborn she is," Yoda noted.

"Anakin wants to train them himself right here on Naboo."

"Two Padawans he cannot have.Forbids it, the Code does," Yoda reminded Windu.

"I was thinking of remaining on Naboo to train one of the children, while Anakin trains the other,"Windu told him.Yoda considered it.

"No other way, is there?"

"No, Yoda.I don't see another way.The Naboo are an introspective, isolated people - isolated by choice.They do not send their children to the Temple for instruction.Why, they do not even test their newborns for midichlorians.If we want to see these children trained as Jedi, it must be done here."

"Still out there somewhere the Sith is." Yoda said suddenly.Windu nodded.

"Yep.Don't think for one second that I forgot about that.If he somehow got his hands on these kids…"

"Disastrous that would be."Yoda sighed."Like this I do not, but no other way is there.There on Naboo they will be trained.No choice in this matter do we have."

"I want you to know, Yoda, that I don't like this any better than you.I will begin the training as soon as possible."Yoda shook his head.

"Trained as Jedi they must be, but here at the Temple you are needed.Remain on Naboo to train one of the children you must not.Obi-Wan Kenobi I will send.Trained Anakin, he did.Anakin's child he will train as well.Only fitting is it."

"That may not be a bad idea," Windu mused."Jedi Kenobi can keep an eye on the situation here."Yoda's ears perked up. 

"Something else you have on your mind, yes?Sense it I can."Windu smiled.He should have known he couldn't hide his thoughts from Yoda.

"The Lady Sabé, who is first among the Queen's handmaidens, has miscarried a child.Chancellor Palpatine traveled with me on the transport to be by her side."

"His child it was?"

"I don't know, I guess it must've been.On the transport, when I spoke with the Chancellor about Lady Sabé, I had a vision.I saw two children of hers, as yet unborn.A son and a daughter, twins, grown to adulthood and robed as Jedi."Yoda frowned.

"Strong with the Force this handmaiden is?"Windu shook his head.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her.She is being released from the medicenter today."

"Go to her you must," Yoda told him."Determine you must if the Force is in her."

"I was planning to do just that at the first opportunity," Windu replied."Presumably she will be brought here to the Palace when she is released."

"Only natural would it be for you to visit and inquire about her health," Yoda said shrewdly.

"That's exactly what I was thinking.Not that this would be the first time you've read my mind.If the Force truly is with her, she must be watched.She is far too old to begin training, but any child she has must be tested.Jedi Kenobi can see to this."Yoda sighed.

"Before us our tasks are.Priorities we must have.Arrange for the training of the Skywalker children we must now.Time enough have we to worry about children yet unborn.May the Force be with you, Master Windu."Windu returned Yoda's smile as he prepared to end the communication.

"May it be with you as well, old friend.

"Master Windu has tested Luke and Leia," Anakin told Padmé.They were alone together in their apartments in the Palace."They are exceptionally gifted.He and Master Yoda agree: they must be trained."She turned to regard him with a regal stare.

"Again I remind you, they are not to leave this planet."

"They won't have to leave, Padmé.Obi-Wan is being sent here to take Leia as his Padawan learner, and I will take Luke as mine.I assume you have no objections to this course of action, my wife?"

"No," she said quietly."As long as they remain here, I have no objections.And I will be pleased to have Obi-Wan here at Court again."

"Our children will be – " 

"Powerful Jedi," Padmé finished for him."Yes, I know.Yoda has foreseen it.Forgive me, my husband, if I am not as enthusiastic about this as you.The Naboo have never been overly impressed with the Jedi Order.We feel it is not well done of them to demand of parents that they send their children away for fostering at the Temple from earliest infancy."

"The training must begin when the student is young," Anakin reminded her.

"Yes, and I understand there are very good reasons for it.I simply do not agree with it, and you would be hard pressed to find a Naboo who does."

"Would it be better for Force-gifted children to be burdened with an ability they can neither understand nor control?To be plagued with visions of things they do not understand?To be shunned as witches, sorcerers, and worse?"

"There are no such things as witches and sorcerers," Padmé said firmly."Any educated person knows they are only tales to scare children."

"Yes, any EDUCATED person knows that," Anakin said."And that is the key.Not everyone is educated.Some people allow their fears to rule them.How many who were gifted with the Force have been burned, crucified, or martyred for only doing what comes naturally to them?"Padmé shook her head."Is it better that they remained with their families only to end up suffering such fates, or even destroying themselves by playing around with a power they didn't understand?"

"I don't know, Anakin.I don't have the answers.I can only tell you what we Naboo believe.We believe our children belong with us.And after all, there is no reason to argue, my husband.We are both getting what we want, aren't we?The children will be trained, but they will remain with us where they belong."He nodded in agreement.

"How goes it with Sabé?" he asked, changing the subject.She sighed.

"I don't know.Palpatine and I brought her home this afternoon.I must say, she certainly doesn't seem like herself.I know not whether it is grief or simply exhaustion that makes her so subdued.I worry for her."

"Palpatine is still with her?"

"I suppose so, unless she has sent him away."

"What?Sabé send Palpatine away?Does that really seem likely?" he asked teasingly.Padmé sighed.

"I would not have thought it likely before, but it seems so now.Something has changed in her.It is a hard thing to lose a child.May the gods protect us from such a thing."

"May they indeed," Anakin agreed fervently.

"You should not be out of bed," Eirtaé scolded Sabé, who was simply happy to be back in her own apartments in the Palace."The Queen will be cross."

"The Queen is not here," Sabé pointed out tranquilly.

"The Chancellor will be cross, then," Eirtaé continued, undeterred."And you cannot tell me HE is not here.I have heard the shower running."Sabé shrugged.

"Let him be cross, " she said."I am weary of being in bed.I spent over a week there, you know."

"Unconscious."Eirtaé reminded her.

"Even so," Sabé said."I have no intention of going back to bed, and I care little if that makes anyone cross."

"Ah, that sounds like the Sabé we all know and love," Palpatine said, walking in from the other room.He had shaved, showered, and put on fresh clothing.

"Chancellor," Eirtaé greeted him, bowing.He gave her a slight nod."Our patient here is most stubborn," she told him.

"Yes, I've noticed that," he replied, smiling.

"Perhaps you will have better luck getting her into bed."His eyebrows shot up, and the young handmaiden blushed, realizing that her words had connotations other than she'd intended.

"Some would say I've had a bit too much luck in that particular department recently," he mused dryly.

"Ah, I only meant - " the handmaiden stammered.

"You are dismissed, Eirtaé." Sabé said icily.Mortified, the handmaiden bowed out of the room.

"Poor girl," Palpatine murmured, smiling in amusement.He went to the sofa and sat next to Sabé.

"Your appearance has improved considerably," she told him.She reached up and smoothed a stray lock of his hair, still damp from the shower.

"As has yours."Gingerly, as though he feared she might break, he took her in his arms.She leaned against him and sighed.After a moment, she spoke.

"They can say what they will about us, but one thing remains: we both clean up nicely," she observed.

"I'm sure that's the least of what they're saying about us," he murmured.

"Didn't you hear?I was hospitalized for 'exhaustion'."She snorted."Do you imagine anyone is actually foolish enough to believe such a tale?You know, it was almost humorous to watch the healers and the nurses going out of their way to pretend that they didn't know the real reason you were there with me.Ah well, at least everyone was polite enough to our faces."

"Sabé, when you are well, I would like you to return to Coruscant with me."

"I would like that, Palpatine, but I cannot.I have my duties to the Queen to think of."

"You don't understand," he said."I want you to be my wife."She gaped at him in astonishment.

"Your wife?"She shook her head in disbelief."Well, you're a bit late.In case you haven't heard, I lost the child.There is no reason for you to feel obligated to marry me."He winced at the bitterness in her voice and held her more tightly against him.

"I know you lost the child, Sabé.Believe me, I know.I also know I almost lost you, and losing you is something I find I cannot bear to contemplate."She looked into his eyes.

"You're serious," she finally said, astonished."You really want to marry me."He smiled.

"Of course I'm serious.Do you want me to go down on one knee and beg?"

"Would you be able to get back up?" she asked archly.

"Very funny."She smiled up at him.

"Yes.If the Queen permits it, I will be your wife."

Partial text of Jedi Master Mace Windu's report to the Jedi Council regarding the situation on Naboo:

DATE: 501.09.0075

Obi-Wan Kenobi has arrived on Naboo to take Leia Skywalker as his Padawan learner.I believe that under the tutelage of Kenobi and Skywalker, the Skywalker children will grow up to become two of the most exceptional Jedi of our times.

Queen Amidala has formally announced the engagement of Lady Sabé to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine.Though I cannot sense the Force in either of them, I strongly advise the Council to watch any children they may have.The visions sent to me by the Force have not played me wrong yet.

The mystery of the hidden Sith Lord continues to trouble me.I mention it only because I sense a connection between this worrisome situation and Naboo.I am unable to determine what the connection might be, and I remain uneasy.Though Anakin successfully resisted the temptation to turn to the Dark Side and become the Sith Lord's apprentice, I fear that this Sith, whoever he is and wherever he comes from, is not finished with Naboo or the Skywalker family just yet…

Chapter 2

Palpatine woke in misery. His stomach burned. His head throbbed. His throat ached. He squinted his eyes against the bright morning sunlight that poured in through the bedroom window of the small house he maintained on Naboo. Why was he so miserable? _Oh yes, the bachelor party,_ he remembered. _What on Naboo ever made me think it would be a good idea to allow Anakin and Obi-Wan to plan that event for me? _As was usually the case when those two were involved, there had been alcohol — lots and lots of alcohol. He sat up in bed and caught sight of a pile of objects in the corner of his bedroom. One of them appeared to be the Queen's crown of office. _Oh dear, almost forgot about the scavenger hunt…_

"Hey, Palpster, you gonna sleep all day?" Anakin asked cheerfully from the doorway. Obi-Wan stood behind him, casually propped against the doorframe.   
"I would like to," he croaked. "However, I imagine that that would irritate a lot of people."   
"Think so?" Anakin wondered.   
"A few at least, this being my wedding day and all." He sighed and hauled himself out of bed.   
"You look terrible," Obi-Wan informed him happily. "Wait until Sabé sees you standing there at the altar. She might go running back up the aisle."   
"She'll be totally traumatized by such a frightening sight," Anakin continued. "So she'll keep running - up the hall, down the stairs, and out of the Palace. She'll run to the nearest nunnery and go into seclusion for the rest of her life."   
"He'd be lucky if she didn't do that even if he looks like he normally does," Obi-Wan observed.   
"Oh very funny," Palpatine said sourly. 

Sabé stood in an alcove outside the Palace ballroom. She looked down at the bouquet of flowers she carried and saw that it was shaking. _I wonder why my flowers are shaking,_ she thought. _Oh, my hands must be shaking._   
"Are you OK?" Padmé asked. Sabé took a deep breath and nodded. "There's nothing to be nervous about," the Queen continued. "This will all be over before you know it."   
"Where have I heard THAT line before?" Sabé asked no one in particular.   
"Don't worry, Aunt. I have the ring right here," Leia solemnly assured the nervous bride. The tot held up the gold band for her inspection. Sabé laughed.   
"Child, that was the very last worry on my mind, I assure you," she told the little girl.   
"Why are you scared?" Leia asked. "You're getting married. You're supposed to be happy, not scared."   
"Don't pester your aunt," Padmé told Leia. The little girl shrugged. She thought her question quite reasonable. Grown-ups never seemed to make any sense.   
"I wonder how it goes with Palpatine," Sabé mused. "I know Obi-Wan and Anakin were planning some sort of drunken last hurrah for him. I hope he didn't do anything foolish last night." Padmé snorted.   
"With those two involved, anything is possible," she said. "Why, it wouldn't surprise me if your groom shows up with a shaved head or a tattoo. Or both."   
"He had better not," Sabé replied acidly. "One thing he is certain to show up with is a bad hangover, and it would serve him right. One would think he'd know better than to go drinking and carousing with those two by now." Nervously, Sabé peeked into the ballroom. "Oh my, look at all these people!"   
"Yes, there are more here for your wedding than came to mine," Padmé told her. "We never could have fit all these people in the courtyard." Sabé shook her head in amazement.   
"But you are Queen, while I am merely one of your ladies. It doesn't make sense." Padmé smiled at her.   
"Queen I may be — of a small, distant Outer Rim planet that most people had never even heard of before our senator became Chancellor. You are marrying the Supreme Chancellor, Sabé."   
"That's rather sobering, when I think of it," Sabé said quietly. "I hope I'm up to the job."

Palpatine waited impatiently in a corridor outside the opposite end of the ballroom.   
"What could be keeping them?" he asked impatiently. Valorum shrugged.   
"They're YOUR friends," he replied. Palpatine made a face.   
"If you can call them that. They'd better not be doing anything to my hovercar."   
"Your car?" Valorum frowned. "What would they do to your car?"   
"Decorate it." Palpatine replied shortly. At Valorum's questioning look, he elaborated. "It is a Nubian custom."   
"How quaint," Valorum murmured. Finally, they spotted the two Jedi Knights ambling up the corridor towards them.   
"Where were you?" Palpatine demanded immediately.   
"Man, lighten up," Anakin said. "We were having a quick toke, man."   
"A quick what?" Palpatine asked. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.   
"You really need to get out more," he advised Palpatine, who gave him a blank look. Sighing, Obi-Wan mimed taking a drag on a joint.   
"Oh my gods," Palpatine exclaimed in disbelief, putting his face in his hands and shaking his head. Valorum laughed.   
"Anakin is right, old boy," he told Palpatine. "You really DO need to lighten up." 

"This is it," Padmé said as the music began. She heard Sabé swallow hard. Smiling, Padmé began the march up the center aisle, followed by her handmaidens and Sabé. A murmur went through the crowd when they got a look at Sabé. Most of the guests had never seen her before, and had had no idea how young she was. She knew there would be all sorts of talk, but she quickly pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She was already shaking so badly that her bouquet was visibly trembling, and she certainly didn't need anything else to add to her nervousness. She felt lightheaded, as though the whole thing were happening very far away and to someone else. Through the silver mesh of her veil, she saw Palpatine standing at the end of the ballroom, looking like he might begin crying at any moment. The handmaidens filed off to stand on one side of the altar. Padmé remained at the front long enough to place Sabé's hand in Palpatine's, then moved to the side to stand among her ladies. The wedding party turned to face the justice of the peace.   
"Dearly beloved," the justice of the peace began. Soon his voice became a monotonous drone to Sabé, who went through the motions of the ceremony and recited her portion of the vows as if hypnotized. Certain things would later stand out vividly in her mind: The memory of Palpatine taking her ring from Luke and sliding it onto her finger, the memory of accidentally trying to put HIS ring on his right hand instead of his left, and of course the memory of the justice of the peace pronouncing them husband and wife. Finally, it was over and Sabé was walking back down the aisle on the arm of her new husband. _I wish my parents were here,_ she thought suddenly, and tears sprang to her eyes, clouding her vision. As they reached the other end of the ballroom, the Queen's handmaidens filed past her, and she very nearly slid into her position in the retinue out of habit. She shook her head, the knowledge that the life of a handmaiden was forever behind her finally becoming real to her. She was a married woman now, and Eirtaé was first among the Queen's ladies. When she stood next to Palpatine in the receiving line, it suddenly hit her that the people who bowed to her now did so not because she was playing the role of Padmé's decoy and they believed her to be the Queen, but rather for her own sake. Her new rank had already become a reality. She was the Supreme Chancellor's wife. 

Sabé sat in her seat between Palpatine and Padmé, swaying slightly due to the four large glasses of wine that had been served with lunch. The lunch had been held in the biggest of the dining rooms in the Palace (the one used for state banquets) and it was still a squeeze to accommodate all of the guests. The caterer suddenly appeared at Sabé's elbow.   
"It is time to cut the cake, Lady," she said, bowing.   
"Oh," she replied. Palpatine was engaged in a conversation with Anakin. She touched his arm to get his attention. "Time to cut the cake," she told him.   
"Is it?"   
"Evidently," Sabé replied, indicating the caterer.   
"Go for it," Padmé told her, smiling. The newlyweds rose and proceeded to the table that held the enormous wedding cake.   
"There's enough cake here to feed an army," Sabé said.   
"A good thing, too, since there are enough people here to make up an army," Palpatine replied. The caterer handed Sabé a large, serrated knife.   
"Look out, Palpatine!" someone called out. "She's got a knife!" The caterer removed the top tier of the wedding cake and sent it back to the kitchen to be boxed up for the couple's first anniversary. She then positioned Palpatine and Sabé so that they could both face the crowd while cutting the cake together. The caterer stepped out of the way, and immediately flashbulbs from holostill cameras went off all over the room.   
"My goodness," Sabé said, blinking. Palpatine, long used to life in the media spotlight, shrugged.   
"Get used to it. It will only get worse."   
"Oh great."   
"Having second thoughts?" he asked.   
"Not a chance," she said, smiling as together they sank the knife into the second tier of the cake. The whole tier wobbled precariously on its four spindly columnar supports.   
"Oooooooooohhh!" the wedding guests breathed. Sabé and Palpatine looked at each other, laughing at the near mishap. They lifted the knife in unison and sank it into the cake again to make a slice. This time the whole second tier collapsed onto the third tier, which collapsed onto the fourth tier, and so on until all six of the remaining tiers were lying together in a pile of mangled cake and gooey frosting. Their guests applauded. Undeterred, Sabé fished around in the remains of the second tier, grasped the newly cut piece of cake and broke it in two, while Palpatine licked white icing off his fingers. "Here's your half," she said, handing it to him. "And if you smash it into my face, so help me I'll kill you."   
"Smash it!" someone yelled.   
"Rub it all over her body and lick it off!" another guest advised.   
"That'll happen later," Palpatine quipped. Their guests laughed.   
"Promises, promises," Sabé murmured for his ears alone, making him laugh. Carefully, they moved in to feed each other the cake. That was when the gunshot went off, startling them both so that they jumped, accidentally smearing cake all over one another's faces in the process. They looked around for the source of the gunshot sound, only to see the caterer holding a champagne bottle that was erupting like a miniature volcano, shooting frothy white foam several feet in the air.   
"Oh my goodness!" Palpatine exclaimed. Without thinking, the caterer automatically turned towards the sound of his voice, bringing the still-spewing bottle around with her and soaking the cake-and-icing-covered newlyweds in champagne. Sabé shrieked and wiped her face with the back of her hand, while Palpatine just stood there, blinking and sputtering. Meanwhile, the guests were cheering and applauding. There was only one thing to do, Palpatine decided as he wiped champagne out of his eyes. He leaned over and licked some icing and champagne off his new wife's cheek, then took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. Their guests went absolutely bananas. From the kitchen area, they could hear several more champagne bottles firing their corks like gunshots, along with shouting from the kitchen staff. While the caterer did what she could to salvage the remains of the ruined wedding cake and get something that might have resembled pieces of cake onto plates for distribution to the guests, the catering staff appeared from the kitchen bearing trays of champagne glasses filled with the bubbly liquid. Valorum, Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan took this as their cue to join the newlyweds. Valorum grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray and held up his hand for silence.   
"I'd like to propose a toast," he declared. This was the moment the two Jedi Knights had been waiting for. They grinned at each other and immediately began pelting Valorum with pieces of toast that they produced from the deep pockets of their Jedi robes. The guests were in hysterics. "That's not funny!" Valorum tried to sound angry, but he was laughing too. Finally, the two Jedi ran out of toast and Valorum was able to get on with things. "To my old friend, Palpatine," Valorum said, raising his glass. "My old, OLD friend Palpatine! He's living proof that you're only as old as the women you feel!" The guests chuckled appreciatively, though there was a scattering of catcalls and rude noises. "And of course," he continued, "To his lovely new wife, Sabé. I understand she wants to have a family as soon as possible, so they are going to have his grandchildren right away." He paused to give his audience time to laugh, then plunged back in to his routine. "You know, Sabé was lucky in one respect. Most brides have to worry about collecting the traditional 'something new, something borrowed,' and all that. She already had something old: THE GROOM." Palpatine was smiling and shaking his head slowly at his friend's good-natured ribbing, but Sabé's eyes were narrowed and her lips were pressed together in a thin line. Valorum glanced at the couple, saw the look on Sabé's face, and immediately began to wrap things up. "So, please join me in wishing these two many, many years of happiness together. I hope we're all here to toast them again on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Of course, by then Palpatine will be 211." He raised his glass in salute and then drank. The guests, still laughing, followed suit. Next Anakin stepped forward.   
"Well," he said. "How can I follow that? That was really good, Valorum." The senator smiled modestly. "If you ever decide to get out of politics, you could always go into stand-up comedy." Anakin raised his glass. "Now, down to business. Palpatine would probably tell you that I have more experience drinking booze than giving toasts with it, and he'd be right. We've had some really great times together… even though he can be a pompous pain in the ass." The guests laughed. "And Sabé… she's just wonderful, although she can be a pain in the ass sometimes, too. So I guess they're made for each other. Anyway… damn, I was going to make a bunch of cheap jokes about Palpatine's age, but Valorum beat me to it. So, I'll just wrap this up now by wishing them both lots of happiness. May the Force be with you," he told the newlyweds. Everyone drank. "Oh yeah," Anakin said. "Almost forgot. I want to add that they must be really happy to be married, because now they can finally have sex." Padmé gave him an exasperated look.   
"All right," she said, shaking her head. "It's my turn. I've known Palpatine almost as long as I can remember — "   
"So did Methuselah," Valorum cracked. Everyone (except Sabé) laughed.   
"Hey Palpatine," Anakin called out. "Is it true that King Vanya used to celebrate YOUR birthday?" he asked, making a reference to a Nubian state holiday commemorating an ancient King of the Naboo.   
"Come on, you guys," Padmé pleaded, laughing. She waited for things to settle down, then continued. "Seriously, I've known both Sabé and Palpatine for a very long time. They are both very dear to me, and the fact that they've found happiness together makes me very happy indeed. When I got married…" She glanced over at Palpatine, then changed her mind about what she had thought to say. "Sabé and Palpatine, I wish you as much happiness in your marriage as I have found in mine. May the gods bless you." She lifted her glass in a toast. Now it was Obi-Wan's turn. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan absolutely dreaded public speaking. He stepped forward and eyed the huge crowd apprehensively. Nervously, he stuck his hand in his pocket, where it encountered an object. Inspiration struck.   
"I offer a toast to the happy couple!" he cried, holding the piece of toast up high for all to see. He dipped the toasted bread in his champagne and took a bite. "Toast!" he yelled, chewing. Everyone laughed.   
"At least he didn't give a long, boring speech," Sabé said to Palpatine.   


_ You are drunk,_ a small voice in the back of Sabé's mind said clinically. She giggled. _Drunk in the middle of the afternoon, no less. How unseemly. _She didn't care. _Drunk I may be, but I am not the only one._   
The tables and chairs had been pushed back to make room for a dance floor. Obi-Wan and Eirtaé were drunkenly clinging to each other, swaying together totally out of time with the music. Sabé watched in astonishment as Obi-Wan tipped Eirtaé's chin up and kissed her lips.   
"Well and well, he must be very drunk indeed," she murmured to herself. Padmé tugged on her sleeve.   
"Here," the Queen said, handing her a crystal tumbler full of clear liquid. _Ah, water,_ Sabé thought. _Just what I need._ The fumes reached her nose as she lifted the glass to take a sip, but by then it was too late. Her eyes widened as the liquor burned her tongue and blazed a trail of licorice fire down her throat. She choked and coughed, candied fumes filling her sinuses.   
"Are you all right, my dear?" Palpatine inquired from her other side. She nodded wordlessly and passed him the crystal tumbler. Warned by her reaction, he sniffed it cautiously, then made a face. "Thank you, no. I do not care for licorice," he said.   
"It's anisette," she informed him.   
"Even so," he said. Sabé shrugged.   
"Pass it on," she told him. He smiled and passed the tumbler to Anakin, who took several healthy swallows before passing it along. "I am very drunk," Sabé told her new husband conversationally. He shrugged.   
"Me too." They both laughed. "Would you like to get out of here?" he asked.   
"Gods, yes." Sabé stood, swaying a bit unsteadily. Palpatine offered her his arm, which she took gratefully.   
"Where do you two think you're going?" Valorum called out to the departing newlyweds.   
"To make some blue-eyed babies!" Sabé shouted back. She realized that everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at her in utter astonishment. "Oh my goodness," she said, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Did I say that out loud?"   
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Palpatine murmured, trying not to laugh. She shrugged.   
"Oh well, I told you I'm drunk." 

"JUST MARRIED!" proclaimed the message that was painted across the back of Palpatine's hovercar. Two smiling faces had been drawn on the back window. A floral motif decorated the side doors, and the side windows were also dotted with white paint. The hood and windshield also happily proclaimed the car's occupants' newlywed status. All of the recent artistic "improvements" stood out starkly on the azure car. Palpatine groaned.   
"I'll kill them both, I swear I will," he promised as he futilely attempted to scratch some of the decorations off his car with his fingernail. Sabé leaned on his arm and giggled. "Look, it's not coming off," he told his wife. She shrugged.   
"I am totally plastered and I want to go back to your, excuse me, OUR house and have wild sex until we both pass out. Ask me how much I care about some stupid paint on your car."   
"Ya know, I think you guys have two whole separate agendas going on here," Anakin's voice called out from behind them. They turned to see a crowd of wedding guests who had left the reception to see the newlyweds off.   
"Anakin!" Palpatine yelled angrily. "Look what you've done to my car! This isn't coming off!"   
"Hey, it wasn't me, man," Anakin protested innocently. He looked around, then pointed randomly at Bail Antilles. "It was HIM! I saw the whole thing!"   
"I never!" Antilles protested. Palpatine snorted.   
"You must think I'm really stupid, Anakin," he said. "This has your and Obi-Wan's signatures all over it."   
"It at least has their initials," Sabé observed, pointing to the bumper, which said "OWK" and "AS" in white paint.   
"It wasn't us!" Obi-Wan protested futilely. Palpatine sighed.   
"Look, I knew you two were stupid, but what in the world possessed you to use PAINT to decorate my car?"   
"That's not paint," Obi-Wan told him.   
"No," Anakin agreed. "It's shoe polish."   
"How do you know?" Sabé asked. "I thought you two didn't do this." The two Jedi exchanged glances.   
"That's what we saw HIM using," Obi-Wan finally said, indicating Antilles again. Palpatine shook his head.   
"Yes, well, you and Anakin are going to be the ones scrubbing it off, I promise you."   
"Let's worry about that later, shall we?" Sabé asked pointedly. Palpatine looked down at her and smiled.   
"Yes, my dear," he murmured. Anakin snorted.   
"Better get used to saying that," he advised.   
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Padmé asked.   
"Nothing, dear." 

Sabé was happy to find that a hot shower sobered her up considerably. She combed out her hair, pulled on a blue robe she found hanging on the back of the bathroom door and padded into the bedroom, where she found Palpatine sitting on the edge of the bed sipping a cup of coffee.   
"You look like you're drowning in that," he told her. She smiled and held out her arms, making the much too long sleeves flap comically. "Would you like some coffee?"   
"Certainly." She went over and took the mug from him and sipped the aromatic warm liquid. She sighed happily.   
"So," he said, taking the mug from her and putting it on the nightstand. "Are you feeling up to it?"

"Up to what?" she asked, stepping close and kissing the top of his head. Her long, damp hair curtained both their faces.   
"Well, you said something earlier about making some blue-eyed babies," he reminded her.   
"Ah yes, so I did," she conceded. "Well, whenever you're ready…"   
"Actually, I was wondering if you have your heart set on blue-eyed babies." He kissed her eyelids. "I'm rather partial to brown eyes myself." She giggled.   
"All right, how about one of each, then?" she asked. He smiled and reached for the tie on her robe. 

Chapter 3

_I can't let those two out of my sight for even a moment,_ Obi-Wan thought with disgust as he trudged through the woods in search of the two small Skywalker children._I told them not to wander off… now where could they have gone?It's all very well for Anakin and Padmé to go off to Coruscant for a second honeymoon, but who's left here with the children?Me, that's who.Oh, Obi-Wan won't mind watching the children while we're gone.Obi-Wan can handle it.Good old dependable Obi-Wan.Damn it all, anyway._

"Luke?" he called hopefully."Leia?Can you hear me?If you're hiding somewhere, just come out.You won't be in trouble, I promise."There was no answer, of course.Thus far, his pride had prevented him returning to the Palace to enlist the aid of Captain Panaka and a squadron of Royal Guards.He could not bear for everyone to know that he, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, was not capable of keeping track of two small children for an afternoon.Now, however, he was becoming very worried indeed, especially as he'd just realized that he could not sense their Force signatures anywhere.Just as he was about to admit defeat, swallow his pride, and turn back towards the Palace, he heard something crashing through the undergrowth.

"Ben!Ben!" Leia called as she ran towards him, her brother right behind her.Only recently had the Jedi Order stopped giving their Padawans Jedi names, allowing them instead to keep their own names from birth.Obi-Wan, in explaining the now defunct renaming custom to the children, had let it slip that his name at birth had been Ben, and they had not yet tired of calling him by it, though it was highly improper to address a Jedi so.However, his relief at seeing them alive, whole, and safe completely wiped out his irritation at being called Ben.

"Leia!Luke!" Obi-Wan cried, bending to catch them in a smothering embrace.He was chagrinned to note that he was shaking with relief; a Jedi should not lose control of his emotions so."Where have you been?"

"Talking to Uncle," Luke said.Leia glared at him.

"You weren't supposed to tell," she scolded her brother, who blushed and ducked his head.

"Sorry," he muttered."I forgot."Leia was unimpressed with his display of contrition.

"You're always forgetting," she continued.Obi-Wan held up his hand to interrupt her before she could begin to recite the very long list of what she believed were Luke's shortcomings.

"Wait a minute.Luke, what do you mean you were talking to Uncle?"Luke continued to stare at the ground in silence.In Luke's world, the sun rose and set on his sister, and he had no intention of earning another scolding from her with his loose tongue."Luke?Come on now, you must tell me," Obi-Wan said firmly.Luke continued looking at the ground and shuffling his feet in the dirt with an air of intense concentration."All right," he said to both twins."There will be no dessert tonight or for the rest of the week until one of you tells me what's going on." 

"We were out in the clearing talking to Uncle," Luke finally mumbled, earning a glare from his sister.Spurred on by the threat of no dessert, he continued undaunted."We've been seeing him every day in the clearing.He tells us stories and gives us candy.He said not to tell anyone."

"Uncle who?" Obi-Wan asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Uncle Palpatine," Luke replied.Obi-Wan frowned.

"That's not possible.He's on Coruscant, you know that."Luke shook his head.

"No, he's in the clearing."

"Luke, you know that Jedi do not lie," he began in a slightly scolding voice. 

"He's not lying.Luke does not lie." Leia piped up indignantly in her brother's defense.Though she teased and tormented her brother mercilessly, she would tolerate no outside criticism of Luke from anyone, including her teacher.Obi-Wan concentrated and reached out through the Force to touch Luke's mind briefly.No, the boy was not lying.

"Uncle gave us candy - see?" Luke exclaimed suddenly, holding out his hand.Obi-Wan took the bit of candy he held out to him and inspected it.It was a popular Nubian confection of small sweet seeds suspended in the hardened sweet sap of an indigenous tree.He frowned at the piece of candy, trying to remember if he had ever seen Palpatine eating it.No, he recalled, the Chancellor does not like sweets._Well, whether he likes them or not has no bearing on whether he'd give them to the children…But why would he hide in the woods and insist on secrecy?That doesn't make any sense._He shook his head._He can't be here anyway; he's on Coruscant._Realizing that this train of thought was getting him nowhere, he sighed.

"All right," he finally said."I would like to see Uncle too.Can you take me to him?"Luke shook his head.

"He's not there anymore," the child told him."I saw him leave in a hovercar."

"Sabé…" her husband's voice whispered in her ear.She rolled over, snuggling down into the bedclothes."Don't open your eyes…" She smiled.

"You're home early," she murmured sleepily.

"Keep your eyes closed… I have a surprise for you," he whispered.She made a happy little sound.

"What is it?"She sighed, stretching.

"You'll see."

"Can I open my eyes yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," he whispered.She heard a familiar sound.

"Mmm… hey, that sounds like - " She opened her eyes.A man in hooded black robes stood over her, both hands gripping the hilt of a red-bladed lightsaber.Slowly, he lowered the blade, clearly intending to sever her head from her body.

She woke screaming, clutching the bedclothes against her, her heart pounding in terror.The only sound in the room was her breathing, which sounded harsh and ragged in the emptiness of the apartment.She remained frozen like that for many minutes.The sudden sound of the main door to the apartment sliding open startled another scream from her.Palpatine came dashing into the bedroom, his attaché case in hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, dropping his attaché case and glancing around the room for whatever had frightened his wife.

"Oh gods, it's you!" she exclaimed, relieved."I was tired, so I decided to take a nap.I had the most terrible dream…then I heard a sound…" He sat on the bed and took her in his arms.

"My poor darling, you're shaking," he said, kissing her temple. "I'm so sorry I frightened you."He continued to hold her, murmuring Nubian endearments until she stopped shaking and relaxed against him."Perhaps you should see a healer," he suggested after a long moment.She looked up at him.

"Why?"

"You've been getting tired easily recently," he reminded her.She shrugged.

"I'm probably still adjusting to being a lady of leisure," she joked."My life has become very tiring, you know.I am always being taken to lunch by groups of senators' wives who only want to be seen with and gawk at the Chancellor's scandalously young wife."He smiled down at her.

"You're so lovely, they can't help but gawk at you." 

"Flattery will get you everywhere," she told him, laughing.

"Perhaps.But I doubt it will get us to the restaurant on time."He kissed her."You'd better get dressed, my dear."

"I'm sorry to bother you with this," Obi-Wan's holographic image said to Anakin."I know you wanted to be completely alone, but I thought it was important."Anakin sighed.

"You're sure they're not lying about seeing Palpatine?" he asked.

"Positive.They know only the most basic mind-shielding techniques, which would be completely inadequate to hide a falsehood like this one."

"Did you ask Palpatine about this?"

"I spoke to his personal assistant, I think her name is Susan or something like that."

"Sara," Anakin supplied.

"That's it.Anyway, she said he'd been in chambers all afternoon, and there are thousands of witnesses who could confirm it.I just don't understand what's going on."

"Well, I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it, Sherlock," Anakin said, sounding unconcerned.

"What did you call me?"

"Sherlock.It's the name of a character from a series of stories I used to read when I was a child on Tatooine."

"Whatever.Well," his tone turned teasing."I hope you and Padmé enjoy the rest of your vacation on glamorous, exciting Coruscant, while I'm stuck out here in the middle of nowhere on a backwater planet no one's ever even heard of."

"You left out the part about chasing two screaming brats around all day long," Anakin reminded him, laughing.Obi-Wan smiled.

"May the Force be with you," he said, ending the connection.Anakin switched the holophone off.

"Who were you talking to?" Padmé asked, emerging from the steamy bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and another around her head.Anakin smiled.

"Obi-Wan.He said the children are doing fine, and we shouldn't worry about anything."

"Oh.Well, I wasn't worried.I'm sure Obi-Wan has everything under control."She removed the towel from her head and began combing out her long, damp hair.

"I'm sure," he agreed sardonically.He walked up behind his wife and put his arms around her."Are you enjoying yourself, my angel?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.She giggled.

"You know it!I haven't had a decent break since I was fourteen years old, and that was fifteen years ago!I've been working for over half of my life now."

"The burden of leadership," Anakin said, only half-joking.They had been planning this vacation for months now, and they desperately needed it.Though their marriage was basically sound, the duties of a Queen and a Jedi Knight frequently kept them apart.Anakin had been in the Jedi Order long enough to see other Knights struggle with and ultimately fail in marriages that were wrecked by distance and frequent long separations more than anything else.He was determined that this would not happen to his marriage, and so far, they had been successful at remaining close despite the other demands on their time.Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he began unwinding the towel from her body.Padmé laughed.

"Anakin!" she protested."We'll be late for dinner!"He glanced at the clock.

"We have time," he assured her, throwing the damp towel on the floor and taking her in his arms.Her eyes darted to the clock.

"It will have to be quick," she murmured, kissing him.

"Better quick than nothing," he replied.He picked her up, carried her to the bed and placed her gently on top of the covers.For a moment, he simply stood there looking down at her beautiful body and marveling at his luck, that this gorgeous angel had agreed to be his wife.Unable to contain himself any longer, he lay down beside her and kissed her lips.Propping himself up on one elbow, he ran his hand down her body, his kisses following in its wake.She sighed."This is just the preliminary," he told her."After dinner, we'll come back here and take our time."

"You are oversexed," she told him in a matter-of-fact voice, but she was smiling.

"Not even close," he murmured."But I hope to be by the end of the week!"

"Won't you tell me what's troubling you, darling?" Palpatine asked.They were sitting at a back table at Portman's, their favorite restaurant, waiting for Anakin and Padmé to arrive.He reached across the table and took her hand.She sighed.

"I didn't want to tell you yet," she said."I wanted to wait awhile and see how it went first…. because of last time."She looked down at their hands, clasped together on the table."I am pregnant," she said bluntly.His eyes widened in surprise.

"Pregnant?But that's wonderful news!"He smiled happily."Why, I thought you were going to tell me something terrible!"She shook her head.

"I am afraid I will lose this one as I lost the other."He frowned.

"We will get you under the care of the best healer on Coruscant," he assured her.She sighed.

"You don't understand…"Her voice trailed off, and she hesitated, choosing her next words carefully."I have had… disturbing dreams," she admitted.

"Yes?" he prompted, when it became apparent she was not going to elaborate.She took a deep breath.

"I have dreamed of the man who killed Jedi Master Jinn," she told him.

"What's this?" Anakin's voice asked.The moment was lost.Sabé and Palpatine rose to greet the new arrivals.

"I'm so sorry we're late," Padmé apologized as she kissed Palpatine.

"Yeah, we… uh… ran into some traffic," Anakin said unconvincingly as he embraced Sabé.Palpatine's eyebrows went up.

"Did you?" he asked.Padmé blushed and lowered her eyes.Sabé smiled knowingly.

"Unless I guess very wrong, Palpatine and I have run into that same traffic on occasion."

After dinner, they returned to Palpatine and Sabé's apartment.Anakin and Padmé sat together on the sofa.

"Sabé, what were you saying about your dreams back at the restaurant?"Anakin asked as Sabé returned from the kitchen with a tray of drinks.She shook her head.

"It's not important," she said, handing out drinks.She perched on the arm of the chair where her husband sat.Anakin noticed that while she had served wine to everyone else, she drank a tumbler of fruit juice.He frowned and allowed his vision to slip out of focus so he could view her aura, which looked to him like the aura of any other non-Force user except for…He sat back, astonished.

"I think your dreams might be important," he finally said."Tell me about them."

"Tell me why they're important," she shot back.

"Among the Naboo, dreams are very private things," Padmé explained.Anakin sighed._What is NOT a private thing among the Naboo?_ he wondered but did not say.

"Please, just tell me.I promise that I will explain what I can after I've heard what you have to say."She nodded.

"I have been tormented by dreams of the man who killed Master Jinn.He killed my first baby.He wants to kill me."Anakin frowned.

"He is dead, Sabé," he reminded her."Obi-Wan killed him."Sabé shrugged. 

"In my dreams, he is very much alive."

"Are you sure it's the same guy?" Anakin asked.

"I have not seen his face in my dreams," she admitted."Still, I am certain it is him.I saw him in the Palace the day we ousted the Trade Federation.Who else wears long black robes and carries a red lightsaber?"Next to her, Palpatine inhaled sharply."What is it?" she asked him.He shook his head.

"Palpatine…" Anakin began.Palpatine closed his eyes."Now is not the time to be coy.There is still a Sith Lord out there somewhere.If you know something about this…"Palpatine remained resolutely silent._He knows something,_ Anakin thought._I can sense it.But he's not talking.Time to get out the big guns._"You are pregnant, Sabé," he said.Her eyes widened.

"How did you know that?I only told Palpatine tonight."He sighed._Well, there's no use putting too fine a point on it._He plunged on ahead, ignoring Padmé's astonished expression. 

"Your children are strong with the Force," he continued, not answering Sabé's question.

"How do you know?" she asked._You know, I seem to be getting that question a lot recently,_ he reflected ruefully.He considered carefully before answering, knowing that according to the Code, there was only so much he could reveal to a non-Jedi about the abilities of Force users.

"I can see them," he said cryptically.

"What do you mean, 'them'?" Palpatine asked.

"Twins," Anakin said shortly."They are extremely gifted.The Jedi will want them for training at the Temple."

"We Naboo do not send our children away," Sabé said automatically.Anakin sighed.

"Look," he said."I don't want to open up THAT can of worms right now.We have more important things to worry about at the moment.Qui-Gon killed one Sith Lord, but there are always two.There is another one out there somewhere, and he will want these children."

"For what?" Palpatine asked quietly.Anakin looked him right in the eye.

"To train them," Anakin said."To teach them the ways of the Dark Side.This Sith Lord will wait until they are born.He will come to your apartment, kill you both and take your children.In the end, he will choose one as his apprentice.He will probably kill the other." Palpatine put his head in his hands.Anakin saw that he was shaking violently.

"What is it?" Sabé asked her husband.From her perch on the arm of his chair, she put her arm around his shoulders and drew him against her."What's wrong?"

"Perhaps he is afraid his children will be taken away," Padmé suggested.

"No.That is not what troubles me now," Palpatine said, his head still in his hands.He looked up at Anakin."This is not something I have ever spoken of before," he said, wanting them to understand how difficult it was for him to continue with what he was about to say.Anakin nodded."When I was a small child, perhaps a bit younger than your twins, a man like the one Sabé described killed my parents."Sabé pulled him closer to her and rested her cheek on top of his head, but remained silent."I do not remember much about it.We were traveling from our homeworld – I cannot remember what it was called - to a planet in the Outer Rim.The man attacked our ship, came aboard and killed everyone.He killed my parents right before my eyes."

"My gods," Padmé said quietly, appalled.

"Before he left, he set the ship's autopilot for a course that would cause the ship to burn up in the Naboo atmosphere.Then…" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Then he took my brother and left."Anakin's mind was racing furiously as Palpatine continued."Obviously, the ship did not burn up with me on board.A rescue team arrived from Naboo and took me back with them.A Naboo family took pity on me and took me in.You know how the Naboo value privacy.All records pertaining to the incident were sealed forever, so that the prying eyes of outsiders would never fall upon them."The importance of his words finally reached Padmé.She stood and walked over to the floor length windows, staring out at the air traffic.

"You are not Naboo," she finally said.

"No, Your Majesty," he said quietly."Though I often forget it myself, I am not."Padmé sighed.As Queen, she knew what she was supposed to do.He could not be allowed to represent the Naboo when he was not one himself.He knew what she was thinking.He stood."I will resign as Chancellor and Senator from Naboo immediately, Your Majesty," he promised her.Slowly, Sabé stood and took her husband's hand.

"I renounce my title of Lady of Naboo," she said fiercely, holding her head high.Palpatine looked at her in astonishment as she continued."I forfeit all my holdings and – "

"Silence!" The Queen commanded, whirling around and holding up her hand."No one is resigning or renouncing anything."

"But Naboo law requires – " Palpatine began.

"We ARE Naboo law, Chancellor," she reminded him in the imperious voice of the Queen."As we command, so it shall be.None has served us as loyally or as well as you have, Lady." Sabé bowed her head."And we would have none other than you represent our sovereign world to the rest of the Galaxy, Chancellor Palpatine.We are proud to call you Naboo.Let any who would dispute your right to call yourself so take up his claim with us."Anakin had remained seated through all of this, watching with detached curiosity as a minor Naboo Court drama played out before him.Finally, he spoke.

"We need to go to the Jedi Council right now, and you need to tell them what you've just told us, Palpatine.I am sure they will promise to keep your story in the strictest confidence.We have to find this brother of yours before he gets his hands on your children."

"All these years, I thought he was dead," Palpatine murmured."Now that I know why he was taken…"

"The man in my dreams," Sabé said quietly."He speaks to me in your voice, Palpatine."Palpatine smiled sadly at her.

"He would," he said."He's my twin."

"Identical?" Anakin asked sharply.

"Yes.Why?" 

"Because," Anakin said, the pieces of the puzzle already falling into place in his mind."He is already working on MY children."

Darth Sidious sat in the meditation chamber in his Sith Infiltrator, mulling over his plans for the Skywalker twins._Things would be much easier if I did not have to operate in secret,_ he thought._Perhaps the time to kill my brother and take his place is at hand…_He chuckled evilly as he contacted the ship's autopilot, instructing it to take off and set a course for Coruscant._Soon, brother dear, we will be together once again…_

CONTINUED IN "THE NABOO CHRONICLES" CHAPTERS 4 - 6


	2. Chapter 4 - 6

# "The Naboo Chronicles"- Chapters 4 – 6

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: The Star Wars characters belong to George Lucas.The others belong to me.I'm not making any money from this.

**WARNING ABOUT CHAPTER 6**: Darth Sidious is a **VERY BAD GUY**.Very bad guys tend to do **VERY BAD THINGS**.If graphic violence, physical and emotional torture, or non-consensual sex disturb/offend you, I'd advise you to **skip over CHAPTER 6**.Oh yeah… though I think it's probably (hopefully?) a given, I nevertheless feel compelled to say **don't try any of this stuff at home, kids**.

Remember: **VERY BAD GUY, VERY BAD THINGS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME.** You have been warned.

**********************************************

Chapter 4

"What a terrible story," Obi-Wan Kenobi's holographic image said to Anakin Skywalker."But at least the mystery of Palpatine being in two places at once has been solved at last.What does the Council say?"Anakin shrugged.

"They are still discussing it," he said."Most of them have their panties in a wad because they can't detect Palpatine's Force signature and they can't feel his twin through him."Obi-Wan snorted.

"It is little wonder.After what happened to him, he probably uses the Force to keep himself isolated from other Force users without even realizing he's doing it."

"That was my guess too.But you know, some Council members are really bugged by that.They can't get over the fact that a non-Jedi is able to use the Force to protect himself that way.I think it hurts their pride that this guy they didn't train, this _amateur_, is able to put up defenses against them."Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Let me guess: They are considering holding an Inquiry to find the Sith Lord."

"How did you know?" Anakin asked, feigning surprise.His tone turned serious."You'd better get your butt back here before this gets totally out of control."

"It sounds like I'm already too late."He thought for a moment."Anakin, if they do hold an Inquiry, they will destroy him." Anakin nodded.

"I know.The Council in general doesn't give a tinker's damn about Palpatine.They just want to find the Sith Lord, and some of them are so obsessed that they'll stop at nothing to do it, including invading Palpatine's mind by force."

"Yes, and after they've driven him mad or even killed him, they will comfort themselves with the belief that drastic situations call for drastic measures, and that the outcome justifies their actions," Obi-Wan said sadly.

"Breaking his shields and invading his mind would salve their wounded pride, too," Anakin said in disgust."I wonder if that's not the primary motivation for some of them – to prove to themselves that they've still got the exclusive market on using the Force."

"Be careful, Anakin," Obi-Wan cautioned."If you get in their way, they may run right over you as well, especially if some of them are on a power trip."

"Not a chance.I'm the Chosen One, remember?" he said, only half-joking."Anyway, I hope to beat the Jedi Council to the punch on this.The problem is figuring out how to get Palpatine to drop defenses that he doesn't even know he's put up and that he can't consciously control.Any ideas?Suggestions?Advice?"Obi-Wan shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't think of anything useful.But I will be there soon." 

"I hope so."

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan said, cutting the connection from his end.Anakin shook his head.

"I'm going to need it," he said to himself as he walked down the hall towards the Jedi Council chamber.As he reached the doorway, he encountered Mace Windu escorting Sabé and Padmé from the chamber.The women did not appear to be going willingly.Anakin narrowed his eyes."What's going on, Master Windu?" he asked.Windu shook his head sadly.

"They are holding an Inquiry, Anakin."Sabé began to cry softly.Padmé put an arm around her.

"Shouldn't you be in there too?" Anakin asked Windu.

"What they are going to do to that man is wrong.I refused to participate.I will not abuse the power of the Force in that way."

"Thank the gods that at least one Jedi Master has some scruples," Padmé said bitterly.

"I wish you were in there, Master Windu," Sabé said quietly."Maybe you could stop them before…" Tears flooded her eyes, and she was unable to continue.Anakin's jaw hardened.Wordlessly, he pushed past the two women and tried to open the sealed Council chamber doors._They've disabled the lock override codes,_ Anakin thought."Stand back," he said, closing his eyes and concentrating. 

Not much could break Jedi Master Yoda's concentration.However, Anakin using the Force to blow the thick marble Council chamber doors out of their housing did the job.Anakin strode through the swirling cloud of marble dust, his expression black with fury.The members of the Jedi Council goggled at him in astonishment.Yoda, however, seemed unsurprised.

"Jedi Skywalker, an Inquiry we are holding," he said mildly.Anakin walked over to stand next to Palpatine, who was standing with his head down, breathing heavily and swaying unsteadily on his feet.Anakin concentrated again, putting a Force shield around Palpatine.For a long moment, no one said anything as Anakin's icy blue gaze swept around the Jedi Council.

"This Inquiry is over," he announced pleasantly.

"Interfere in this matter you will not.Remove the Force shield you must." Yoda told him.Anakin gave him a dangerous smile.

"_Make me._"Yoda's eyes widened.

"Insubordination this is, Jedi Skywalker!" he exclaimed.

"Yep."

"A place on the Jedi Council you will never have!" Yoda promised him.

"Give a shit about that I don't." Anakin said mockingly."Arrogant you are.Too big for your britches you grow.Overstep your authority you do.A reality check you are in need of."Furious, Yoda rose to his feet.

"Too far you go this time!Get away with this you will not!"

"Oh well," Anakin replied, shrugging.

"A Jedi Knight you are!" Yoda reminded him."To obey the Council your duty is!"

"Yeah?That's really funny.See, I thought the job description also included stuff like 'defending justice and protecting the innocent'.I guess that part got lost somewhere."Yoda was outraged.

"To defend justice and protect the innocent is why we seek the Sith Lord!"Yoda informed him.Palpatine sniffled.Anakin watched as he retrieved a handkerchief from his pocked and wiped blood from his nose.Anakin shook his head, sighing in disgust.

"I realize I am not a Jedi Master, so sometimes the subtleties slip right by me," he admitted, his voice dripping with sarcasm."Please explain something to me, Master Yoda.Is THIS," - he indicated Palpatine, who continued to hold the handkerchief to his bleeding nose – "what you call defending justice?Or maybe it's an example of protecting the innocent, huh?I'm not sure.Please enlighten me, O Wise Jedi Master."As Anakin's fury increased, his voice grew more and more quiet."This man came to you in good faith, to tell you what he knows.He believed in the Jedi.He believed that once we had all the facts, we'd ride right out on our proverbial white horses and slay the bad guy.And see how you repaid his faith in you.See how you repaid his trust.You should all be ashamed of yourselves."One by one, Anakin fixed each Council member with a chilly stare.Many of them were unable to meet Anakin's eye."I am ashamed for you.Your actions tonight make me ashamed to call myself a Jedi."He put his arm around Palpatine's shoulders."Come on, Chancellor.We're leaving."From the destroyed doorway came the sound of someone applauding.Anakin turned to see Master Mace Windu standing there, an approving smile on his face.

"Yoda is going to have your head on a platter," Obi-Wan's holographic image informed him.Anakin shrugged.

"Yoda can bite me," he said."When are you getting here?"Obi-Wan sighed.

"Though we are taking a slight detour in order to drop your twins off, Ric Olie gave me an ETA of sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"You aren't bringing the twins?"

"No.I think they would be better off somewhere hidden, somewhere safe.Don't worry, we're leaving them somewhere no one would ever think to look for them."

"Good.You know, I'm starting to see why the Naboo are so distrustful of outsiders and choose to remain as isolated as possible." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"From what you've told me, tonight was not one of the Council's finest moments."Anakin snorted.

"Not even close," he agreed, sighing."Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then.May the Force be with you."

"How is he?" Padmé asked as Sabé walked into the living room.

"Sleeping.And I don't care what he says, I am going to call Sara and tell her to cancel his appointments tomorrow, because he is not going in."

"Go ahead," Anakin said, appearing from the office."I'm done with the 'phone.And before you even ask, YES, for the millionth time, I am SURE he will be all right.I didn't want to probe his mind too deeply after what the Council did to him, but from what I can tell, the harm they did him was more emotional than physical."Sabé walked over to Anakin and gave him a crushing hug.

"Thank you," she said quietly."I can never repay you for what you have done."

"Repay me?I'm surprised you don't hate me.I was the one who convinced Palpatine to go to the Jedi Council."Sabé shrugged.

"You believed that was the right thing to do.It is not your fault that they disappointed you."Anakin snorted.

"'Disappointed' is putting it mildly," he told her."Right now, I wouldn't care if they kick me out of the Order. I'd go get a fishing pole and spend the next 30 years sitting on the river bank near the Palace."

"But Palpatine's brother would still be out there somewhere," Padmé reminded him.He went to the sofa and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"Well, Padmé, as it is, he's still out there.And since I'm not prepared to use our children or Sabé as bait to lure him out, Palpatine is our only link to him."He glanced over at Sabé, who sat in a chair opposite them."Your unborn children are extremely gifted with the Force.I'm betting that the Force is very strong in Palpatine, and that would mean it's equally strong in his brother.And that is very bad news indeed."

"What was the Council trying to do to Palpatine, anyway?" Padmé asked.Anakin sighed.

"I shouldn't tell you this, because it is one of the Mysteries of the Jedi Order.However, since I may soon be an ex-member of that Order…. well… Palpatine is unconsciously using the Force to hide and protect himself from other Force users.The Council wanted to poke around in his mind a bit to see if they could sense his twin through him and figure out where he's hiding and what he's up to, and that would require forcing Palpatine to lower his defenses."

"Why didn't they just use the Mind Trick on him?" Sabé asked.

"They probably couldn't.No doubt he is able to resist the Mind Trick the same way he defends himself from other Force sensitives, without even knowing he's doing it."Sabé frowned.

"But you've Mind Tricked him – several times, if I'm not mistaken."Anakin's eyes widened.

"You're right."He sat back against the sofa as the importance of the fact truly sank in."Wow.Do you know what that means?"Padmé shrugged.

"You're a super powerful Jedi?" she guessed teasingly.He shook his head.

"No," he smiled, a mixture of pride and happiness written all over his face."I'm able to slip past his defenses, because he really _trusts_ me.And that means," he continued, an idea forming in his mind, "that he'll _willingly_ allow me to do what the Council tried to do by force."He shook his head sadly."I never should have told him to go to them.Obi-Wan and I should have handled this ourselves.We should have just kept it quiet and kept it in the family."Padmé smiled.

"You begin to sound like a Naboo," she teased.

"I begin to see why they feel the way they do about so many things," he replied.

For thousands of years, the Sith Order had hidden itself.Generation after generation operated in secret, until the day that the most gifted, clever, and powerful among them would rise up and seize power on a Galactic scale.From their secret cloister on Coruscant, they quietly kept their traditions alive, training apprentices, selecting the best and discarding the others.A Sith Master might spend over half his life in the training of his Apprentice, only to have that Apprentice strike him down and take his place.The new Master would then cast his mind across the Galaxy, searching for the next generation of Force-gifted children who might be taken and trained in the Sith tradition, and so the cycle was perpetuated.As the years passed, the Sith Order acquired more power and riches, enabling them to renovate and improve their Cloister in absolute secrecy.Because his Apprentice could not be everywhere at once, an early Sith Master designed and created robotic servants to do his bidding, beginning the tradition of mechanical servants and robot armies. The current Sith Master, Darth Sidious, discovered the limitations of an entirely robotic army during his botched attempt to invade Naboo, and so he began abducting the poorest, weakest, and most desperate individuals from the lower levels of Coruscant – society's "outcasts" whose disappearances would be noticed and questioned by nobody - and turning them into mindless "nulls" via surgery and drugs.Never again would he rely upon robots.

It was one of these nulls that met him when he arrived at the Sith Cloister, silently escorting him to his lavish quarters and helping him off with his long black robes.As the null carefully hung his black robes in a closet, Sidious went to stand on his balcony.He looked down over the city, his thoughts on the evil he would do once he was ensconced in the Supreme Chancellor's office and his brother's children were under his tutelage._Ah, and the Chosen One… well, that one eluded me, but his children will be mine also..._From the four children, he would choose his successor.Or perhaps… perhaps he would break with Sith tradition and train all four children as Sith.Together, his apprentices would wipe out the Jedi and begin a new Sith Order, perhaps in the very building that currently served as the Jedi Temple.His face twisted in an evil smile as he contemplated the future, where he saw himself robed and crowned as Emperor of the Galaxy with an army of Sith Apprentices to do his bidding._Soon,_ he thought, taking in the spectacular view of the city, _it will all be mine._

Unbeknownst to him, Obi-Wan arrived on Coruscant mere hours after Sidious.It was late afternoon when he walked down the ramp of the Nubian cruiser and bowed to Queen Amidala, who stood on the landing platform surrounded by blue-robed Chancellor's Guards.

"Your Majesty," he said quietly."I am surprised to see you here alone."She shrugged.

"Look around you, Obi-Wan," she said, indicating the guards."I am hardly alone."He made an impatient gesture.

"You know what I mean."As they reached the waiting hovercar, one of the guards hurried forward to open the door for them.They entered the car and settled themselves in the back.Padmé watched through the car's window as Obi-Wan's scant belongings were removed from the Nubian and placed in the car's trunk.

"Palpatine is still asleep," she finally said."Sabé refused to leave him, and Anakin felt he should remain with them in case…Well, you know.And so here I am, alone."She changed the subject."I assume you have left my children back on Naboo in Eirtaé's care?"He shook his head.

"No.The Sith Lord was last seen on Naboo, so I thought your children would be safer well away from there."

"Where did you take them?" she asked.He looked into her eyes, considering.

"I think it's better that you don't know.The fewer people who know, the better.Should anything happen to me, Captain Panaka knows where they are.You must trust me in this."She frowned.

"I do trust you, Obi-Wan, implicitly.But please, at least, tell me who is caring for them."Obi-Wan smiled.

"Palpatine is not the only one with a brother no one knows about."

Heeding Anakin's instructions, Sabé opened the door cautiously.

"Oh it's you!" she exclaimed with relief as she ushered Padmé and Obi-Wan into the apartment.

"Though I have no authority to do so, I want to apologize to you on behalf of the Jedi Order for the Council's treatment of your husband." Obi-Wan told her."I would beg you not to judge all Jedi Knights on the behavior of some, even if those in question are our leaders."She smiled and embraced him warmly.

"Though I will never forgive the Council for what they did to my husband, I promise that I do not hold their actions against you.Anakin, Master Windu, and you are the best of the bunch, and I believe in you.The rest of the Order can burn in Hell as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't suppose I can blame you, Sabé," he said quietly.He shifted the focus of his vision so he could see the Force auras surrounding the twins she carried._My gods, the Council did badly to alienate this woman,_ Obi-Wan thought._Her twins are as powerful as Anakin's… _He followed Padmé and Sabé into the living room, where Anakin and Palpatine were sitting together on the sofa.

"Thank the gods you're here, Obi-Wan," Anakin said, rising to his feet to embrace his old friend.Padmé went to sit next to Palpatine.

"How are you feeling, Chancellor?" she asked him quietly.He smiled.

"Much better, thank you.I am only sorry that I haven't been able to help in any way."Anakin overheard his words and walked over.

"That's nothing to be sorry about.You're not deliberately protecting him.Anyway, you may be able to help us yet," he told Palpatine.

"How?" he asked.Sabé went to stand next to the sofa where her husband sat.

"He's been through enough, Anakin," she reminded him.

"Sabé, I am probably going to be expelled from the Jedi Order for what I did last night.You should know that I of all people won't hurt him."She lowered her eyes.

"I am sorry," she said quietly.

"I would just like a chance to… ah… well, see if I can sense anything through Palpatine."

"I trust Anakin," Palpatine told his wife."And something must be done to stop my… this Sith Lord."He shook his head."Though he is my brother, it is easier if I do not think of him as such.I wish I had never learned he is still alive.In a way, it was much easier when I still believed him dead."

"He IS dead," Obi-Wan told Palpatine."In a manner of speaking, of course.When the Sith Lord who abducted him began his training, he effectively killed the good man your brother could have grown up to be.So it would be accurate to say your brother IS dead – from a certain point of view."

"From a certain point of view?" Sabé asked in disbelief.Obi-Wan smiled at her.

"You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view," he told her kindly.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Palpatine said.He glanced at Anakin."I suppose you'd better get on with it," he sighed.Anakin nodded slowly, allowing his vision to shift out of focus.He found that he wasn't very surprised by what he saw.

"All right," he said finally."Let's do it."As Anakin closed his eyes and concentrated, Palpatine steeled himself for another attempt to invade his mind."Just relax," Anakin murmured.After a moment, the Jedi opened his eyes.

"Well?" Obi-Wan asked.Anakin shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"He's nearby.That's all I could get.Where, I have no idea."

"I'm sorry," Palpatine apologized.Anakin snorted.

"Don't be.I'm sure your, er the Sith Lord is shielding himself from you to prevent the Jedi doing exactly what I tried to do.And," Anakin added, "he is at least as powerful as Yoda, if not more so."

"Who, the Sith or Palpatine?" Sabé asked.Anakin gave her an odd smile.

"Yes."

Chapter 5

Darth Sidious hid in a recessed doorway, peering around its corner to watch as his brother approached down the main corridor of the Senate Building._How foolish and trusting he is,_ Sidious mused, watching as Palpatine stopped to have a brief conversation with a young woman dressed in the blue livery of a Senate Aide._He truly thinks himself safe.Such is his genuine belief in the basic goodness of people, it never occurs to him that anyone might want to do him harm.Well, he shall soon learn differently._Palpatine smiled, nodding as the aide gave him some documents.Though he was too far down the corridor to make out exactly what was being said, Sidious could hear the good-natured cheer in his brother's voice.Palpatine scrawled his signature across the bottom of one of the documents and handed it back to her, gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and turned to continue up the corridor, alone, as the aide disappeared around the bend in the hall.Sidious cast his malevolent gaze up the corridor and saw it was empty, save for his approaching brother.

Darth Sidious smiled to himself and stepped out into the corridor.Palpatine froze, staring at him in shock.

"It's you," Palpatine finally managed in a shaky voice."My gods… all those years…Until the other night, I had thought you dead."Sidious gave him a malignant smile.

"Not at all," he replied."Though YOU soon will be, dear brother."Sidious raised his hand and with a negligent wave, shot a bolt of purple Force lightening at Palpatine, who crumpled to the floor without a sound.A door slid open across the hall, and one of Sidious's nulls emerged from the darkness of an empty conference room to drag Palpatine's unresisting body inside.Chuckling, Sidious followed.

"Strip him," the Sith Lord ordered as the door slid shut and the lights came on.Another null came forward to help the first one with its task, while a third stood by Sidious as he removed his clothing, taking each piece from the Sith Lord and folding it carefully.When nulls were finished stripping Palpatine, they brought his clothing to Sidious, who dressed quickly but carefully, making sure every fold and pleat of the elaborate Nubian robes hung correctly.Once he was dressed, he turned to leave."Take him back to the Cloister and put this on him." He tossed his black Sith robe at the null.Plastering a cheerful Palpatine smile across his face, Sidious stepped out into the corridor.

"Chancellor!" He turned to see Sara, Palpatine's personal assistant, racing up the hallway to catch up to him."There you are!" she said breathlessly."I've been looking all over for you."

"Well, you've found me," he said as cheerfully as he could manage, patting her arm.She frowned at him.

"Are you OK, sir?" she asked.

"Never better!" he proclaimed heartily."Why do you ask?"

"Well, your wife called you in sick yesterday…" He gave her a dazzling smile.

"I am completely fine now, I assure you."She shrugged.

"Well, you just don't seem quite like yourself today, for some reason."

"Interesting your report is, Jedi Skywalker," Master Yoda admitted.Anakin glared at him.

"'Interesting'?I'll tell you what's interesting.It's 'interesting' that the Council felt they had to hold an Inquiry when they could have simply asked me to try to sense the Sith Lord through Palpatine.But no, you guys didn't think of THAT, did you?I'm just a Knight, not a Jedi Master like the esteemed members of the Council.Would asking for my help have wounded your already bruised and battered egos too much?"Most of the assembled Council members were astonished at his audacity.Master Yoda and Master Windu were not.

"Enough that will be, Jedi Skywalker!" Yoda exclaimed.

"Master Yoda," Windu said softly."Jedi Skywalker has brought us important information, information that this group was unable to get.The Council's behavior the other night was negligent at best, dangerously and unforgivably self-indulgent at worst. After that night, I do not blame Jedi Skywalker for his anger at this Council.Do you?"Yoda sighed.

"The information we will act on, Jedi Skywalker.Concern yourself further in this matter you need not."Anakin was furious.

"This 'matter' involves my children, my wife, and people I've come to think of as my family.I am not going to stand by and let others handle this."He turned on his heel and walked out of the chamber.

"Insubordination this is again, Jedi Skywalker!" Yoda called out as Anakin departed.

"Yeah, yeah," he said without turning around.He stalked out of the room, encountering Obi-Wan leaning against the wall in the hallway outside.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"About as well as could be expected," Anakin replied."Come on, let's get back to Palpatine's apartment before something ELSE happens."

Darth Sidious had enjoyed a successful morning in chambers.He had listened attentively as the Senator from Alderaan and the representatives from the Trade Federation battled it out and had already thought of numerous ways to turn the situation to his advantage.Perhaps Lott Dod and his minions could be useful yet.Now he sat at Palpatine's desk, staring at the computer monitor and trying to figure out how to log onto the network.He had already tried all of the obvious choices for his brother's password: Sabé (with and without the accent over the "e"), Naboo, Padmé, etc.None of them worked.He had searched every inch of his brother's desk hoping to find it written down somewhere, but to no avail.Sara, a veritable font of knowledge regarding all things Palpatine, was no help either.He had called System Support and asked them what to do about his "forgotten" password, only to be told that he should have written it down somewhere.They would need at least 72 hours to reconfigure his account and assign him a new password.He glared at the computer in frustration, wishing for the millionth time that he could Mind Trick it into cooperation._Perhaps,_ he reflected, _it is time for me to return to the Cloister and see if my brother has regained consciousness…_

_ _

Inside the Jedi Counsel chamber, Master Yoda was still upset about Anakin's behavior.

"Fully trained Jedi Masters this situation with the Sith requires!" Yoda exclaimed.Master Windu smiled.

"The situation is in good hands, Master Yoda.We need not trouble ourselves further.Jedi Kenobi and Jedi Skywalker are capable.We need only stand ready to act should they need assistance."Yoda shook his head, sighing.

"Like this not I do," he said quietly."But little choice in the matter do we have. Impossible would it be to find the Sith Lord without the Chancellor's help.Trusts Anakin only, does he."

"Now, whose fault is that?" Windu asked mildly.Several members of the Counsel shifted uncomfortably in their seats.Finally, though Windu's question required no answer, Yoda spoke.

"Our own fault it is.No, MY own fault it is."He stood."Prideful and arrogant my behavior has been.Meditate I must."Without another word, he walked out of the chamber.

Darth Sidious smiled as he opened the door to his brother's prison.Palpatine was sitting on the floor, wrapped in Sidious's black robe, his back against the wall.He looked up as Sidious entered the room.

"Hello, Maurice," Palpatine said softly.Sidious glared at him and raised his hand.

"Never call me so again," the Sith Lord warned, shooting a small bolt of Force lightening at his brother's head.Palpatine ducked, narrowly avoiding being zapped as the bolt of energy collided with the wall above him.Palpatine sighed.

"What do you want?" he asked tiredly.Sidious smiled.

"Your network password, for starters," he replied.Palpatine shook his head sadly.

"Surely you must know that I am not going to help you with this masquerade of yours."

"Ohhh," Sidious said slowly, "I think you will change your mind about that before too long."He smiled."You know what comes next."

"I suppose you'll do something terrible to me," Palpatine replied, trying for a nonchalant tone.Sidious motioned to someone outside.A floating black orb hummed into the room.It was equipped with a large hypodermic needle and a variety of wicked looking instruments.It was a prototype, one of his favorites; Sidious looked forward to testing it.

"You have no concept of terrible," Sidious told Palpatine as the droid floated over to him."Not yet."

"Well, it looks like I'm still a Jedi," Anakin said. 

"For today, anyway," Obi-Wan added."Tomorrow it may be otherwise."

"Why do you say that?" Padmé asked.Sabé poured steaming tea in mugs.She set mugs before them and joined them at her kitchen table.

"I for one am happy that you remain a Knight," Sabé told him, cautiously sipping her hot tea."The Council had no right to do what they did to Palpatine," she continued, her eyes flashing with anger."It is good that there are Knights with honor in the Order."

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to honor their orders, so I may not be a Knight for long," Anakin told her."They want me to stay out of this business with the Sith.That's not going to happen.This guy picked the wrong family to mess with."

"Still, you'd better try being a bit less… abrasive," Padmé advised."You will not be able to do anyone any good if you get expelled from the Order."

"The lives of our children, hell their very SOULS may be at stake!" Anakin flared.

"Your children are quite safe, Anakin," Obi-Wan reminded him."The Sith will not find them.Padmé is right.You must not further antagonize the Council or run out half-cocked looking for this Sith.We will stay close to Padmé, Sabé and Palpatine and protect them as best we can."

"I do not like it," Anakin told him.Obi-Wan shrugged.

"You do not have to like it.But if you want an opportunity to take care of this Sith Lord yourself, it is your best bet.I have a feeling that HE is going to come to US."

Darth Sidious returned to Palpatine's office in a foul mood.The prototype interrogation droid had performed marvelously; Sidious had been quite pleased with it. However, though it had come close to killing him, it had failed to persuade Palpatine to answer any of the questions Sidious had put to him.The network password wasn't even the issue any longer.Sidious was simply determined to bend his brother to his will, and the fact that he could not infuriated him.

"Good afternoon, Chancellor," Sara greeted him brightly.Without replying, he stalked by her desk and into Palpatine's office, sliding the door shut behind him.The intercom on the desk sounded, and he stabbed its button angrily.

"What?" he snapped irritably.

"Sir?" Sara's voice asked timorously.

"What do you want?" he demanded. 

"Ah… Senator Lott Dod is here to see you, Chancellor."The confusion in her voice made Sidious realize that his behavior had been quite out of character for Palpatine._So what?_ he thought irritably._Soon my brother will be dead and I will be in charge.They'll just have to get used to the NEW Palpatine._"Sir?" Sara's voice asked through the intercom, breaking his reverie.

"Send him in, you stupid girl," he snarled, thumbing the intercom off.The door slid open to admit the Neimoidian.

"Chancellor," he hissed, bowing obsequiously."It isss ssso nissssce to be working with you again.I feel I ssshhould remind you of promisssesss you made during the unfortunate incident on Naboo."

"I am aware of the deal we had," Sidious snapped."And although your brainless minions bungled the invasion, my brother was elected Chancellor, which is all that truly matters.So, I will give you what you ask.Not right away, of course.The Republic must grow used to my leadership.I am not a spineless weakling like my brother.I do not pander to the masses."Lott Dod nodded."Soon, Senator, you may operate your slaving franchise openly.But only after my complete control of the Senate and the Republic is a reality."

"He is in an important meeting and can't be disturbed, Lady Sabé," Sara said into the voicephone. "I must say, he is very short-tempered today.I have never seen him like this before…. yes, I will tell him you called.Perhaps you can jolly him out of that black mood of his."

Later that afternoon, Sidious stood over Palpatine's unconscious body, thinking about what to do next.The interrogation droid hovered patiently behind him.Finally, an idea came to him.He leaned over and placed his hand on his brother's forehead.

"Wake up!" he snapped, giving a little mental push with the Force.Palpatine's eyes snapped open.He blinked a few times, staring up at Sidious through a pain-induced fog.Sidious was pleased to note that the drug the interrogation droid had injected him with was still in his system.

"What do you want now?" Palpatine asked muzzily, his voice hoarse from the screams the torture droid had forced from him earlier.Sidious's lips twisted into a nasty smile.

"Because of your unwillingness to cooperate, I am afraid that your new friend" – he gestured at the torture droid – "will have to pay a visit to your lovely wife."

"No…" Palpatine protested faintly, trying to sit up.

"You would rather your new friend remain here?You only need to say the word."Palpatine made a choked sound that was halfway between a sigh and a sob.

"Petunia," Palpatine finally said."My network password is 'petunia'."

"Why 'petunia'?" Sidious asked, in case it held some significance.

"I grow them.In pots.On my balcony."

"How… sweet," Sidious sneered."Now, you may sleep."He turned to leave, and Palpatine closed his eyes in relief."I am quite enjoying playing the role of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, dear brother.Now, I think the new Chancellor will go home and make love to his beautiful wife."Palpatine opened his eyes, a horrified expression on his face.

"Please… don't," he begged."I'll do anything you want."_Ah, and not even the torture droid could budge him before.This is what happens when you love, dear brother,_ Sidious thought._Truly, love is a weakness._Sidious gave Palpatine another of his malevolent smiles_._

"Of course you will," he spat."But later.Right now, the Chancellor's wife is waiting for her husband, and one mustn't keep a lady waiting.Pleasant dreams, brother dear."

CHAPTER 6

"Palpatine." Darth Sidious said into the voicelock on his brother's apartment door.He listened as it clicked and whirred busily, lights flashing.After several moments, the lights turned green and the apartment door slid open.Smiling evilly, he stepped inside."Sabé?" he called."Where are you, my little…" his lips twisted. "…petunia."

"Hi, Palpatine," Anakin said, walking into the living room.All day, Sidious had pretended to be Palpatine.Though much of his behavior had been out of character for the Chancellor, no one had even suspected that he was an imposter.The possibility simply never would have occurred to them.None of the people he had dealt with knew about Palpatine's Sith brother, nor could they use the Force.But the young man who stood before him now knew all about Sidious, and he was a Jedi Knight.Sidious knew he would have to be careful.He could not afford to slip up and snap at this man.The façade would have to be perfect.The time was not yet right for him to reveal himself to the Jedi."Your 'little petunia' is not here," Anakin told him.Sidious gave Anakin what he desperately hoped was a pleasant smile.

"Oh?" he asked."Where has she gone?"

"She went to our hotel with Padmé and Obi-Wan.They're getting our stuff so we can move into one of the other bedrooms here."

"You're moving in here?"Sidious felt a surge of irritation. The Jedi's presence would mean the Sith Lord would have to maintain his shields full time to avoid being detected.

"Well, yeah," Anakin said lightly."Nice place ya got here.I really like the view.Heck, I might just move in."Sidious did not know what to say to this.

"Yes, well…" He spied the doors to the balcony."I think I'll go look at my plants."

"Knock yourself out," Anakin replied in a strange tone.Sidious gave no response.He could feel Anakin's eyes upon him as he opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. 

Palpatine drifted in and out of consciousness.The drug the torture droid was loaded with increased physical sensations and sharpened emotions while dulling the senses and suppressing inhibitions.The hope was that the effects of the drug combined with the physical torture meted out by the droid would cause a prisoner to break quickly.In Palpatine's case, it hadn't worked.Though he could not consciously manipulate or control the Force, it flowed through him, obeying his subconscious commands.He had almost broken several times during his "interview" with Sidious, but had experienced a sudden rush of strength and courage from the Force each time.Now he lay on the cold stone floor of his prison, huddled up in a protective ball under the negligible shelter of Sidious's black robe.He shook violently from the cold, which was exacerbated by the early stages of shock.Without medical attention, I will not live long, a small voice in the back of his mind said clinically.Not that Sidious would care if he died; he was marked for death eventually anyway, once the Sith decided that his usefulness had come to an end.A distinctive humming sound reminded him that the interrogation droid was hovering in the corner, awaiting Sidious's return.He tried not to think about it.Instead he thought about Sabé.He thought about the way her eyes lit up when she smiled at him.The way she would reach down and take his hand during the boring political receptions they were obligated to attend.The way she had been prepared to sacrifice her title and everything else for him only a couple of nights ago, when Padmé had learned he was not truly Naboo.The way he felt when he held her in his arms.The way her hair would spill over her pillow in a chocolate brown pool under her head when they made love.He wished he could believe he would live to see her again, to see their children.Their children… ah, Gods.His brother would take them and twist them into something evil.And Sabé… he suddenly remembered his brother's plans for Sabé this evening, and moaned in despair.He could not bear the thought of that monster touching her, hurting her.Raping her.But it wouldn't be rape; she would willingly sleep with him, thinking he was her husband.Perhaps if she does not resist, he will not hurt her…But he knew better.His brother did not need a reason to hurt people. He did it because he enjoyed causing pain and watching people suffer.For the first time in his life, Palpatine found himself wishing that the Naboo believed in sending their children away to be trained as Jedi.Anakin had said he was strong with the Force, and his brother clearly had it.Perhaps the Temple would have wanted me for training, he thought.If I were a Jedi… ah, and if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.He wished he had paid more attention whenever Obi-Wan or Anakin had talked about their Jedi abilities… he could only cling to the desperate hope that one of them would realize that his brother had taken his place.

Anakin opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony.Sidious stood at the railing, looking out over the gorgeous view of the city at dusk.Anakin walked past the neatly folded deck chairs leaning against the wall and the bags of potting soil and plant food to stand next to Sidious.

"How are your babies?" he asked, gesturing at the neat row of terra cotta pots.Sidious grunted noncommittally.Anakin closed his eyes and reached out, seeking the glimmer of the Force that flows through every living thing.He opened his eyes and saw that the plants glowed with a healthy bluish haze of Force energy.He opened his mind to them.Joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy, they yammered mindlessly.Anakin smiled.Plants were capable of only the most basic feelings.Obviously, these were happy, well cared for plants.Too bad Palpatine was never trained to use the Force, Anakin mused.I bet knowing how happy his petunias are would cheer him up.It is a small thing… I wonder if I could teach him. "Hey Palpster," he said."Would you like to learn how to talk to your plants for real?"

"What are you talking about?" Sidious asked, feigning ignorance.He sounded vaguely irritated.

"Through the Force," Anakin explained."It's easy.You just close your eyes and… well… reach out with your mind."He closed his eyes.Sidious studied the young Jedi, vaguely amused.The Sith Lord had already investigated the plants, of course, and had been disgusted by their general happiness and good health.Leave it to his idiot brother to waste his time in such a pointless way, nurturing and coddling those useless little lifeforms when he could have been using his position as Chancellor to manipulate the whole of the Republic for his own personal gain.He has no sense of what is important, Sidious thought.His priorities are all wrong.He decided that as soon as he got the opportunity, he would slowly pull the plants apart piece by piece.Plants could feel pain as well as joy.He would get a perverse pleasure from teaching the concept of pain to these tiny lives that his brother treasured so much."How did you do?" Anakin asked, opening his eyes.Sidious suddenly wondered if this were some kind of test.He decided to err on the side of caution.

"I am afraid I am too old to learn these things, Anakin," he said at last.

"What, a little thing like that?I doubt it," Anakin replied."You could never learn to do really big manipulations, of course.The Force is strong enough in you that you could have learned the art of it when you were young, but now it's too late.Your brain wouldn't be able to handle channeling and directing that kind of power – it's simply not conditioned for it.The nerve pathways have to be forged by Force manipulation when the student is very young.But I'm sure you could learn to do small, simple things."Sidious suddenly had an idea.

"I would like to learn to use a lightsaber," he said suddenly.

"You?Use a lightsaber?" Anakin snorted"Don't make me laugh.You'd probably cut your own ear off or something." If only you knew, my young Jedi, Sidious mused ironically.He realized that while Anakin had seemed to dismiss his request out of hand, he was actually giving it serious consideration.He decided to press further.

"Only for self defense, of course," Sidious said.

"Hmm…" Anakin said thoughtfully."I don't know.Maybe… well…" Sidious could see that the Jedi's indecisiveness was merely a show; he had already made his decision."Oh, OK."He gave Sidious a brilliant smile."Just don't tell Obi-Wan.He might not think it's a good idea."

"My lips are sealed," he assured Anakin.My, but he is reckless and impulsive… I may yet be able to turn him.When the time is right…. Chuckling to himself, he followed Anakin back into the apartment.

"Stay here," Anakin said, walking back to the bedroom he and Padmé were using.Sidious sat patiently on the red sofa, waiting for Anakin's return.I will let him "train" me, gain his trust, and then…"OK," Anakin said, returning from the bedroom."See this?" he asked, holding up something that looked like a small metal ball.Sidious recognized it immediately; it was a practice remote.Knowing that Palpatine would have no idea what it was, he put on a suitably blank expression.

"What is it?" he asked.

"A remote," Anakin answered.He switched it on and tossed it into the air."Go," he said.Immediately, the remote flashed into life, hovering around the young Jedi with a slight hum that made Sidious think of his prized interrogation droid.Anakin ignited his lightsaber, and the remote immediately began firing small bolts of blue energy at him, which he easily deflected with the lightsaber's green blade.While the Jedi was thus occupied, Sidious reached out with the Force to touch his mind lightly.No sign of fear, anger or aggression.The Sith was disappointed.Perhaps the Chosen One could not be turned after all. Ah well, there are always the children…After a moment, the remote's attack ceased, and it moved up and over into a waiting position.Anakin deactivated his lightsaber."See?"

"I see," Sidious said.He stood."May I try it?"Anakin hesitated, but only briefly.

"Sure," he said."Those bolts it shoots can't do you any serious harm, but they do sting a lot, so don't let it zap you if you can help it."

"Right," Sidious agreed.Anakin handed Sidious his lightsaber.Sidious smiled. I will strike him down now, while he is defenseless.When Obi-Wan returns, he will find a dead Jedi and an incapacitated Chancellor.The mysterious hidden Sith will get the blame…and with Anakin out of the way, it will be that much easier to take his children.

"You gonna stand there all night looking at the hilt, or are you gonna use that lightsaber?" Anakin asked.

"I am waiting for you to tell me what to do."

"Oh," Anakin said, sounding sheepish."Sorry.The remote is programmed to activate when it hears a lightsaber ignite.So get ready to begin fighting right away.What you want to do is relax and let the Force flow through you.Just let go.Go where it leads you.When you use the lightsaber, it should feel more like instinct than something you're consciously thinking about and controlling.Got it?"Sidious gave him his best uncertain smile.

"I think so," he said, easily hefting the weapon.Anakin stepped back.Sidious ignited the lightsaber, momentarily disconcerted at seeing a green blade where he was used to seeing a red one.The remote had already sprung to life and taken advantage of his momentary distraction to get off a couple of good shots.Their stinging pain triggered long-buried memories of his childhood training sessions and the merciless beatings that were the punishment for failure.Reacting instinctively, he went against the remote with all he had.

"Wow," Anakin breathed, amazed to see the man he took to be gentle, mild-mannered Palpatine using a lightsaber like an experienced warrior.Aside from the initial shots fired while Sidious had been distracted, the remote failed to score a hit on its target.At last, the training device finished running through its programming, its attack stopped and it returned to its previous position.Anakin had never seen a Padawan Learner take to the lightsaber as quickly as this man had. It is a shame he is too old to be trained as a Jedi, he mused. He is surely born to it. "That was really good, Palpatine," he said quietly, awed.

"Oh did you think so?" Sidious asked sarcastically.He raised the green blade."And now, Anakin – " The main door to the apartment slid open.

"Hi guys," Sabé said as she walked in, followed by Padmé and Obi-Wan, who was Force-levitating several pieces of luggage behind him.They all froze, speechless at the sight of "Palpatine" standing there with Anakin's ignited lightsaber in his hand.Obi-Wan was so stunned that the luggage suddenly tumbled to the floor, forgotten.

For a long moment, no one moved.

Then Obi-Wan noticed the remote, still humming quietly in the corner.He gave Anakin a dark look.He might as well have said it out loud: You're in deep shit now, Anakin Skywalker.

"Jedi Skywalker," he said quietly."I would speak with you alone.Retrieve your weapon and come with me."

"It feels like the good old days," Sabé joked as she hung the Queen's elaborate dresses in the spare room's closet.Padmé smiled, happy to have her old friend help her unpack.She wondered briefly what Obi-Wan was saying to Anakin.She could hear their muffled voices through the wall as they argued back and forth.No use dwelling on it; she would find out what had been said eventually.

"I have missed you, Sabé," she finally said."I wish you and Palpatine did not live so far away."She moved to sit down on the bed.

"So do I wish it," Sabé answered.She stopped what she was doing and went to sit on the bed with Padmé."I miss Naboo," she confided."I have not been back since my wedding. But there is no help for it," she sighed.

"How strange it is to see all your old familiar knickknacks in Palpatine's apartment," Padmé mused."And I am almost surprised when I walk into your old apartments and see Eirtaé there."Sabé smiled.

"And how does Eirtaé like being in charge?" she asked.

"She likes being in charge.She does not like playing my decoy, and she does not like the training regimen that Panaka is putting her through.And she becomes annoyed when the others make mistakes, which is frequently. She is becoming nearly as short-tempered and sharp-tongued as you," Padmé said teasingly.Sabé laughed.

"Ah, and she used to complain about me.Well and well, the shoe is on the other foot now, isn't it?" Sabé mused."I must call her to gloat."

"I doubt that will serve to sweeten her disposition," Padmé laughed.

"I must call her to gloat," Sabé repeated, grinning wickedly.

"Speaking of sweetened dispositions, I notice that marriage seems to agree with you," Padmé observed.

"Indeed.Palpatine is a good husband, and we love each other well.And soon we will have children."She patted her abdomen, which as yet showed no sign of the lives growing inside."Truly, I have never been happier, despite missing Naboo."

"I will be happier still once this business with the Sith is over," Padmé said.Sabé shook her head sadly.

"Palpatine has been through so much.I am amazed he has not become bitter," she said quietly.It was a moment before she spoke again."I am not his first wife."

"Yes, I know.His first wife died."

"Do you know how?"Padmé shook her head."She was cut to pieces by someone with a lightsaber."

"My gods," Padmé said, shocked.

"She was pregnant," Sabé continued."Seven months.And they never found who did it."

"I think I can guess," Padmé said quietly.

"Yes," Sabé agreed."Though I know it will never happen and I know I should not wish for such things, I would dearly love to find that Sith myself and repay him in kind for what he has done to Palpatine."

"I wonder why he did it, why he killed her," Padmé said.Sabé shrugged.

"I do not think he would need a reason."They were quiet for a moment."Well," Sabé said, standing, "I suppose we should join Palpatine.We left him all alone out there in the living room."Padmé stood.

"What's for dinner tonight?" she asked.

"Oh who knows?" Sabé asked rhetorically."Whatever the cook made, I imagine."The two women laughed.

"What were you THINKING?" Obi-Wan yelled, brandishing the hilt of Anakin's lightsaber as he angrily stalked the spare bedroom where he had spent the previous night.Anakin sat on the bed, looking up at Obi-Wan as he paced the room."Your recklessness boggles the mind!Perhaps the Council is right about you."Anakin shrugged.

"I tried to show him how to talk to his plants.He said he'd like to learn to use a 'saber…"

"I don't care WHAT he wants to learn!" Obi-Wan shouted.Anakin was shocked.He had never even seen Obi-Wan get angry.Now he was utterly infuriated."Don't you understand anything, you stupid, STUPID boy?You could have gotten him KILLED!"

"Oh come on, Obi-Wan," Anakin said."Aren't you exaggerating a bit?I was just trying – "

"To teach him to talk to his plants," Obi-Wan finished for him, sounding tired."And that would have been fine, as long as he wasn't later tempted to try bigger and better things, things like, oh...let me think for a minute… things like USING A LIGHTSABER!"

"Obi – "

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE?"Anakin was astounded; his mouth snapped shut with an audible clicking of teeth.Mindful of Padmé, Sabé, and Palpatine out in the other rooms, Obi-Wan lowered his voice."Listen to me, Anakin.Palpatine is, what – in his fifties?He is far too old to learn to use the Force, and if he begins playing around with it on his own, he is liable to have a stroke.He could die."Anakin opened his mouth to say something, but Obi-Wan cut him off."Yes, he is enormously powerful.Yes, he would have made an extraordinary Jedi.But that ship has sailed.Look, there it goes, right down the river.Wave goodbye, Anakin!" he said facetiously, raising a hand to wave farewell to an imaginary boat.For a long moment, neither man spoke.

"You should have seen him fight that remote," Anakin finally said.Obi-Wan whirled, furious, his eyes blazing with sea green fire.When he spoke, his voice was very quiet.

"Have you not heard a single word I've said to you tonight?"

"Yes, but – "

"No, none of your 'buts'.You can pull that bullshit with the Jedi Council, but not with me.And anyway, if the Council knew what you've done this evening, they'd have no choice but to…well, who knows WHAT they'd do to you?I doubt this is a situation they've ever encountered before, because by the time MOST people are made Knights, they have more sense than to try to teach the art of using a lightsaber to a man who is in late middle age!"Anakin began to protest then stopped, lowering his head.

"You're right, Obi-Wan," he said quietly."It was stupid.I guess… well, when I saw how strong the Force is in him… ah, I don't know what I was thinking."Obi-Wan sighed, moving to sit next to his former Padawan.

"So," Obi-Wan finally said."He was good, huh?"Anakin's head jerked up in surprise.

"Yeah," he said, grinning."He was great."Obi-Wan shook his head.

"What a waste."

Sidious sat in the living room, smiling to himself as he used the Force to listen in as the two Jedi argued.If he could encourage Anakin to continue to behave in ways guaranteed to irritate Obi-Wan, perhaps he could engineer the break-up of the famous Kenobi-Skywalker team.

"I am sorry, Palpatine," Sabé said as she walked into the living room. Padmé followed her, waving at Sidious as she continued into the kitchen."I have neglected you this evening."

"Oh?" Sidious asked.Sabé walked over to where he sat, leaned over and kissed him.

"Yes," she replied."I haven't asked you how you are feeling."

"I'm feeling fine," he assured her."Why?"

"I spoke with Sara this afternoon, and she told me you weren't acting like yourself."Sidious frowned.He made a mental note to have a talk with "his" personal assistant about that conversation tomorrow.In the meantime, he must placate his "wife".

"Oh, I'm fine, Sabé.I merely had a disappointing lunch meeting which put me in a bad mood."

Mace Windu sat at the kitchen table in the Jedi Temple, sipping a cup of fragrant herbal tea.A nasty headache had troubled him all day, and now he could not sleep.He had begged off attending the Council's afternoon session in order to see if he could meditate the headache away, but to no avail; the pain had made it impossible for him to concentrate on his meditation.Finally, in frustration he had walked down the street to the drugstore to purchase some aspirin.As he'd walked back to the Temple, removing the shrink wrap from the bottle as he walked, he'd felt a sudden stabbing pain in his head.He'd looked around, startled.For some reason, his attention had been drawn to a nondescript black building set back from the street.Though trees effectively secluded the building from view, Windu had wondered why he had never really noticed the building before.Shrugging, he'd continued back to the Temple.

Now, as he sat sipping his tea and thinking about that mysterious black building, another sharp pain lanced through his head.Frowning, he reached into the pocket of his robes and retrieved the bottle of aspirin, popping the top off and tossing three pills into his mouth.This headache has to go away sometime, he reasoned.I just have to wait it out.

Sabé lay on her back, smiling up at her "husband".She could tell he did not feel like himself; he had been surprisingly ungentle.Several times she had complained that he hurt her.He had never hurt her before.But, she reasoned, he had been through a lot these past few days; perhaps he was simply exhausted and not really up to making love.

"We can just go to sleep if you want," she said softly, reaching up to twine her fingers in his hair.

"Oh no," he replied just as quietly."I want to do this.Believe me."He lowered himself onto her, not gently, and she gasped in pain.He smiled, reaching over to pick up something he'd placed on the nightstand beside her.She looked at his hand and froze.

He wore no wedding ring.

"What happened to your ring?" she asked in a shaky voice, afraid she already knew the answer.He gave her an evil smile.

"Nothing," he whispered in her ear."It remains on your husband's finger."He gave her a malicious grin.Horrified understanding filled her eyes, and she opened her mouth to scream.He clapped his other hand over her mouth, resting all of his weight on her small body, painfully grinding into her as she struggled underneath him.Tears ran down her cheeks."See this?" he asked, holding up the device he'd retrieved from the nightstand."It is a remote control for the torture droid that is keeping your husband company."He pushed a button on its side, and a red light on the device's side lit up.Sabé's eyes widened as the meaning of his words sunk in, and her struggles became more desperate, inadvertently bringing him to the brink of fulfillment.He put the device back on the nightstand and smiled, turning his attention back to Sabé.Keeping his hand over her mouth, he pulled out of her momentarily."Not yet, my dear.Not yet.I want to make this last for you," he whispered in her ear."I want you to savor it."

The interrogation droid's rising hum woke Palpatine, and he watched its approach with abject terror.He prayed that in his weakened state, it would kill him before it was able to do much to him.He wondered how and why it had been activated; perhaps his brother was coming to ask him more questions.The droid finally reached him, extending its wicked hypodermic needle and burying it in the flesh of his upper arm.He whimpered as he felt the drug burning through his system.Before the droid had even finished injecting the dose, he felt the effects of the drug.His pain increased, his fear and despair were heightened.Finally, the droid pulled the needle out of his arm.He closed his eyes, literally shaking with the fear of what he knew would come next. To his surprise, he heard the droid hum away from him.He opened his eyes and saw it had returned to its corner, where it powered down again.He couldn't understand why it had injected him; perhaps it had an error in its programming.Then he felt his brother's mind pressing into his, crushing his shields and –

He suddenly knew why the droid had dosed him again; one of the drug's effects was to amplify emotions.He barely felt the tears on his cheeks as he watched through his brother's eyes as his brother raped Sabé.

Anakin was thirsty.He crept through the darkened apartment into the kitchen, opened the refrigeration unit, and pulled out a carton of milk.He retrieved a glass from the cupboard and filled it.He only drank his milk straight from the carton when Palpatine was watching, because it made Palpatine crazy, and making Palpatine crazy was one of Anakin's hobbies.Making Obi-Wan crazy was his other hobby.I did a good job of that tonight, he reflected ruefully as he sipped his milk.I thought Obi-Wan's head was going to explode – and I wasn't even TRYING to make him crazy that time!

Mace Windu stood in front of the mysterious black building that had been occupying his mind all night.For a long moment, he considered what to do.Finally, his curiosity got the better of him.He walked up to the door and rang the buzzer, waiting for an answer as the wind whipped his brown Jedi cloak around him.Finally, the door opened and a blank-faced person gazed up at him incuriously.

"Is the master of the house at home?" Windu asked.The man gazed up at Windu, expressionless.Pain lanced though the Jedi Master's head, and he suddenly sensed – 

Without another word, Windu grabbed his lightsaber, pushed past the unresisting man, and raced into the building.He reached out with the Force with all his might, searching for another glimmer of the Force signature he'd just sensed a moment ago.He found it again and got a mental lock on it.The halls were empty; no one stopped Windu as he frantically searched the building, the Force signature steadily fading as life slipped away.Down, he thought, and found the stairs.At the bottom of the staircase was a door.Igniting his lightsaber, he destroyed the locking mechanism.He stepped inside, holding his lightsaber in a defensive position.He heard a muffled moan.As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to make out the form of someone wrapped in a dark shroud lying on the ground.He hurried over and knelt on the ground beside the body, deactivating his lightsaber and grabbing a shoulder to turn the man over.As he'd suspected, it was Palpatine. 

"Chancellor?" he asked softly.Palpatine's eyes flicked open.He smiled weakly at Windu.

"Master Windu," he whispered faintly."So good of you to come."

Sabé was curled up in a fetal position on her side, clutching the remains of her torn nightgown against her body and sobbing.Darth Sidious stood over her, relishing her misery as he put on one of Palpatine's robes and tied the sash around his waist.His lips twisted into a malignant smile as he thought of what he was going to do next.He opened the nightstand's drawer, pulled out his lightsaber, and walked out into the darkened living room.He would kill the Jedi and the Queen in their sleep.Then he would take Sabé to the Cloister, return to the apartment and allow himself to be "found", incapacitated.The Sith would be blamed for all, and the Jedi would be off to chase wild geese…

"Hey!" Anakin's voice said out of the darkness.The lights, responding to his voice, came on.Anakin saw Sidious standing there, clutching a lightsaber.Does he want to fight the remote again in the middle of the night or something?Wait a minute, where did he get that lightsaber?? Realization hit Anakin like a ton of bricks.He remembered that had no weapon."Shit," he said."OBI-WAN!"Sidious knew he had lost the element of surprise.He ignited his lightsaber.

Everything that followed seemed to happen all at once.

The training remote, long forgotten but still hovering in the corner of the living room, flashed into life at the sound of the igniting lightsaber and opened fire on Sidious, who whirled and futilely tried to cut the darting little device in two.Obi-Wan came running into the living room, ignited lightsaber in hand.Sidious, still trying to vanquish the remote, turned to face the new arrival.He attacked, his red blade sparking against Obi-Wan's green.The remote continued to fire on Sidious.Padmé came running into the living room, pulling a robe on as she ran.She tossed Anakin's lightsaber in his general direction, and he used the Force to draw it to him, igniting it as soon as its reassuring weight slapped into his palm.Suddenly, the sound of a blaster firing filled the living room.Sidious froze, crumpling to the floor with a sickening slowness, a smoking hole where the left side of his head used to be.The training remote stopped its attack.They all turned to see Sabé standing in the hall.Her nightgown was torn, her face was stained with tears, and a rivulet of blood was running down her leg.She held a blaster in her hand.Slowly, zombie-like, she walked over to Sidious's body.She stood over it for a long moment, then pointed the blaster at it, firing over and over into his corpse as though he could never be dead enough to suit her.

# CONTINUED IN "THE NABOO CHRONICLES" CHAPTERS 7 – 9


	3. Chapter 7 - 9

# "The Naboo Chronicles"- Chapters 7 – 9

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: The Star Wars characters belong to George Lucas.The others belong to me.I'm not making any money from this.Though I've made some changes to it, St. Eligius Hospital and the doctors, nurses, and orderlies who work there belong to Joshua Brand and John Falsey.

**********************************************

Chapter 7

Padmé walked over to Sabé, removed the blaster from her unresisting hand and tossed it to Anakin. Sabé dissolved into tears. Sighing, Padmé pulled Sabé into her arms.   
"We need to get you to a hospital," Padmé told Sabé.   
"No," Sabé protested, pulling away from Padmé. "We have to find Palpatine… he" - she indicated Sidious's dead body - "said something about a torture droid keeping him company."   
"A torture droid?" Anakin asked, frowning. "What the hell is that?" Sabé shrugged.   
"I don't know, but if it's anything like what its name implies…" Her voice trailed off. Anakin nodded.   
"We'll find him," Obi-Wan assured her.   
"Yes," Anakin agreed grimly. "Even if we have to tear every building on Coruscant apart brick by brick to do it. But right now, you need to get to a hospital."   
"No, I want to go with you!"   
"You are bleeding," Padmé told her quietly.   
"Am I?" Sabé asked, sounding dazed. No one asked what had happened; her ripped nightgown and the blood running down her leg made it obvious.   
"Yes, you are," Padmé said. She fetched Sabé's coat from the hall closet and bundled her into it. "Oh," she said, turning to the two Jedi. "What are we going to do about this?" she asked, her sweeping arm indicating Sidious's corpse and the scorched and bloodstained carpeting.   
"I will contact the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan said. "They will handle this with discretion."   
"Master Windu," Sabé suddenly said. "I only want him involved. The rest of them can go screw." Obi-Wan nodded.   
"I will do my best," he promised her. "But now you must allow Padmé to take you to the hospital. You must think of your children." Sabé nodded numbly. The voicephone rang. Anakin picked it up.   
"Yes?" he asked tiredly. He listened for a moment. "No, I don't think this is a secure line, so… oh REALLY? Well, the other one is here… yeah, he had a REAL BLAST earlier, and now he's DEAD to the world. Someone should come do something about it," he said pointedly. Pause. "You're at THAT dump? Sheesh. Well, I guess we'll be joining you there shortly. We have a medical emergency of our own." Pause. "Yeah, something like that. We will see you soon." He broke the connection. "That was Master Windu," he told the others. "He's at St. Eligius."   
"What's he doing there?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin smiled at Sabé.   
"He found Palpatine."   


"It will be OK," Padmé assured Sabé as they stood in the St. Eligius emergency room.   
"Name?" the nurse with curly brown hair and kind brown eyes asked. Sabé drew herself up to her full height.   
"I am Lady Sabé of Naboo, wife to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine," she replied with as much dignity as she could muster, standing there with her coat buttoned up to hide her torn nightgown and bruised body. ER Nurse Shirley Daniels wrote down her name without so much as raising an eyebrow.   
"And what brings you to the emergency room?" she asked.   
"My husband was admitted to this hospital," she said. Nurse Daniels turned to a computer terminal and punched its keys.   
"Yes," she said after a moment, "He was admitted for shock and… well, they're not sure exactly what happened to him. But it appears he will be fine."   
"I want to see him," Sabé said. At her side, Padmé shook her head.   
"No, Sabé," she said quietly. "You need medical attention first."   
"Oh?" Nurse Daniels asked. "What seems to be the problem?" Sabé's tenuous composure broke, and tears filled her brown eyes.   
"I was attacked," she said quietly. "The same man who attacked my husband…" She lowered her eyes. When she spoke next, it was in a voice that was barely a whisper. "Raped me." Nurse Daniels wrote it down without batting an eye, a fact for which Sabé was eternally grateful.   
"Do you know who your attacker was?" Nurse Daniels asked. "If not, we'll have to do a rape kit." Sabé glanced over at Anakin. Anakin had only the vaguest idea of what a rape kit was, and an even vaguer idea that it could conceivably link Palpatine to Sabé's rape, as he and her rapist were identical twins.   
"Her attacker has been dealt with," Anakin said, waving his hand at Nurse Daniels. "The Jedi have taken care of it. No rape kit will be necessary."   
"Her attacker has been dealt with," Nurse Daniels repeated, writing as she spoke. "The Jedi have taken care of it."   
"That's right," Sabé whispered, giving Anakin a grateful look. "Oh," she said, as though just remembering. "I am pregnant with twins."   
"How far along?" Nurse Daniels asked.   
"I do not know, a few weeks if that. I have miscarried a child once before. And I am bleeding." Nurse Daniels immediately stopped writing, picked up a voicephone, and spoke. Her voice filled the halls of the hospital.   
"Paging Doctor Roxanne Turner, Doctor Turner to ER stat." She turned back to Sabé. "Come with me," she said, turning to enter the ER. Sabé hesitated.   
"I want…"   
"I will come with you, Sabé," Padmé said quietly, taking her hand. Sabé's eyes filled with fresh tears.   
"I want to see my husband," she said.   
"Later," Nurse Daniels said curtly, all business now. She motioned for the two women to follow her. Padmé half-dragged Sabé into the ER, while Anakin went into the waiting room. Nurse Daniels whisked open the curtains around the metal rod that secluded an exam table from the rest of the ER. "Remove your clothing and put this on," she said, tossing Sabé a paper exam gown. "Doctor Turner will be here soon." Sabé eased herself onto the table, while Padmé sat in a chair beside her. Nurse Daniels pulled the curtain shut.   
"I want to see Palpatine," Sabé said quietly. "I want to see that he is truly all right."   
"I will send Anakin to see him," Padmé said, standing. Suddenly, the curtains were whisked open again, and a tall black woman with close-cropped hair walked in, pulling the curtain shut behind her. She glanced at the datapad in her hand and punched a couple of buttons on its surface. She looked up at Sabé and smiled.   
"Hello, Lady Sabé," she said in a gentle voice that held the faintest trace of a Southern Coruscant drawl. "I'm Doctor Turner."   
"Oh, Doctor," Sabé said. "I want to see my husband."   
"Come on now, Lady," Dr. Turner said, putting a sympathetic arm around Sabé, who was huddled on the exam table, her coat pulled protectively around her. "As soon as we make sure everything is fine with your little passengers in there, you can go upstairs and see your husband." She turned to Padmé. "Perhaps it would be best if you left… you could go check on her husband for her."   
"Oh would you?" Sabé asked gratefully. Padmé nodded. She took Sabé's hand and gave it a squeeze.   
"I will see how it goes with Palpatine," she promised quietly. "I will ask Anakin to remain here in the ER in case you need anything," _Like another Mind Trick,_ she thought but did not say.   
"Don't tell Palpatine," Sabé whispered suddenly. She glanced at Dr. Turner. "Is that OK? If she doesn't tell him that I was…" Dr. Turner patted her arm.   
"Of course, dear. It is your place to tell your husband. No one else's."   
"Thank you so much, Doctor Turner."   
"I will see you soon," Padmé assured her. She walked out into the ER's waiting area.   
"How is she?" Anakin asked. Padmé sat down next to her husband, who put an arm around her and gave her a kiss. She sighed heavily.   
"I think she must be in shock. She behaves like she is in a trance."   
"I'm not surprised," Anakin said quietly.   
"Nor am I. She wants to see Palpatine. I told her I would go once I spoke with you." Padmé shook her head. "I hope she will be OK."   
"I'm sure that she will, in time," Anakin told her. "She's been through a lot tonight."   
"And she will go through more later, I am certain," Padmé said.   
"Not if I can help it. Obi-Wan has gone to the Jedi Temple to speak to the Council. I'm sure it will do their egos little good to learn that a Sith Lord was operating in secret right up the street from them - literally under their noses."   
"They will see that no scandal ensues?" Padmé asked carefully.   
"I doubt they want word of their inability to sense the Sith Lord getting out; imagine what it would do to the reputation of the Jedi. So," he concluded, "I am sure they will want to keep this as quiet as possible."   


"I thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said, bowing to the Jedi Master. Yoda was not pleased; Obi-Wan had come barreling into the Jedi Temple and gotten him out of bed in the middle of the night.   
"Mph," Yoda answered noncommittally. "Emergency you said it was. But to see you I had no choice."   
"Let me tell you what has happened tonight, and then we will see if you agree that it is an emergency."   


_ Five west, room 500225,_ Padmé repeated to herself as she stood waiting for the lift. Finally, a lift appeared, the doors slid open, and she stepped inside. Padmé shared the lift with two doctors; a balding man in late middle age, and a shorter man with graying hair and a mustache. The lift suddenly jerked to a stop for no reason, the doors opening on a floor that none of them had pushed. The shorter doctor leaned forward and stabbed the 500th floor button impatiently.   
"Oh for crying out loud," he complained in a nasal voice tinged with an accent that marked him as a member of Coruscant's upper class. "You'd think with all the renovations they've been doing, they'd do something about these damn lifts."   
"They're working on it, Mark," the other doctor said calmly.   
"It's a disgrace, Donald," Mark Craig continued, completely ignoring Padmé's presence in the lift. "We've got Supreme Chancellor Palpatine staying here, and you can't get an elevator to save your life. And none of the clocks agree with each other, either."   
"I thought your heart transplant patient donated new clocks to the hospital last year," Donald Westphall said mildly.   
"Yes. Yes she did. But your crack team of maintenance workers has yet to get around to installing them. They must be too busy taking coffee breaks and not fixing the lifts." Westphall shrugged.   
"What can I say, Mark? I doubt the Chancellor will care too much about the clocks."   
"And that's another thing," Craig said, though he was in fact starting in on a new topic. Unnoticed, Padmé continued to listen in, fascinated. "Whose bright idea was it to admit him as a cardiac patient? Any first year intern could see that the man's got the heart of a twenty year old." Westphall shrugged.   
"Axelrod admitted him," Westphall said. Craig snorted.   
"Well that just figures," he snapped. "The man's a useless moron. Now I've got the Chancellor on my service on top of everything else."   
"Erlich defended the admission," Westphall said mildly.   
"Hmph. He would. Probably made some tasteless crack about the Chancellor needing a heart work-up because of that young wife of his." Westphall laughed. "Erlich is a menace to this hospital, Donald." Craig continued. "He thinks 'tact' is the past tense of 'tack'."   
"It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to keep him away from the Chancellor," Wesphall agreed. They finally reached the 500th floor. The doors opened and the three lift occupants stepped out. Padmé looked around in puzzlement. Westphall noticed her confusion.   
"Do you need help finding a room, miss?" he asked Padmé kindly.   
"Yes," she said. "I'm looking for room 500225."   
"Go right up this hall," Westphall said, pointing, "and make a left. The room will be on your right."   
"Thank you, Doctor." She turned to walk up the hall, but was stopped by Craig's voice.   
"That's Chancellor Palpatine's room," Craig said, a challenge in his voice.   
"Yes, I know," she said, turning. "Please pardon me, but I could not help overhearing in the lift."She scrutinized his hospital ID tag. "Doctor Craig. You are the Chancellor's doctor?"   
"Who wants to know?" Craig demanded, determined that no unauthorized visitors would disturb his important patient. She smiled sweetly at him.   
"The Chancellor's sovereign. I am Padmé Amidala, Queen of the Naboo." Without another word, she turned on her heel and started off in the direction that Westphall had indicated. The sound of Westphall's quiet laughter followed her down the hall. Craig's nasal voice rang out once again.   
"Oh, for Pete's sake - !" Padmé smiled to herself as she continued up the hall in search of Palpatine's room. _500221, 500223… there it is!_ She tapped on the door. The door slid open, and a very tired-looking Mace Windu appeared. He gave her a smile.   
"Your Majesty, it's always a pleasure to see you," he said in his quiet, gentle voice. She smiled at him.   
"And you. How is the Chancellor?" Windu shrugged.   
"Sleeping. They have him pretty doped up on pain meds. They say he'll be fine. Where is Lady Sabé?"   
"She is here," Padmé said carefully. "She sustained some injuries, and they are treating her in the ER. She will be up shortly, I'd imagine."   
"Good. The few times he's woken, he has asked for her and become very distraught when we couldn't produce her. That unpleasant little doctor finally had him sedated."   
"Doctor Craig," she supplied.   
"Yes, that's him," he agreed. "Are you going to stay with the Chancellor now? I am afraid I am needed at the Temple." She smiled.   
"Of course I'll stay with him." She took Windu's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for everything you've done for us. We can never repay you." He gave her a brilliant smile.   
"The pleasure is mine," he assured her. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder as he turned to go. "May the Force be with you."   
"And with you as well," she murmured. She watched for a moment as he walked up the hall, then turned and went into Palpatine's room. A single lamp above the hospital bed illuminated the room. She went over and stood by the bed, horrified by the Chancellor's appearance. _My gods, he looks like he's been through a war. I wonder what happened to him…_ She reached down and gently smoothed his hair. To her surprise, he opened his eyes.   
"Sabé?" he asked faintly. Padmé smiled.   
"No, Chancellor. It's me, Padmé. Sabé will be here to see you soon," she assured him. Gradually, he managed to focus on her.   
"Oh, Padmé…" Padmé was surprised; he had never called her by name before. She judged the strength of the drugs he was receiving by his casual slip. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," he whispered, as though reading her mind. She shook her head.   
"Oh, don't be silly. Anyway, isn't it about time we were on a first name basis?" she asked. He gave her a faint smile. "Now go back to sleep, and when you wake, Sabé will be here, I promise." She leaned over and kissed his forehead.   
"Yes, Mother," he whispered teasingly. She laughed.   
"You tease me now, but soon you will have two little ones of your own to look after, and don't be surprised if you too begin to speak to everyone as though they are children."   
"I hope," he croaked, "that I do still have two little ones on the way." _He knows! _she thought._ I wonder how he found out? _She sat down next to his bed and took his hand.   
"So do I hope it, Palpatine," she sighed.   


"Your little passengers are just fine," Dr. Turner said, snapping off her rubber gloves and tossing them in the trash. "You may be sore for awhile, but you don't have any substantial physical damage."   
"Thank you," Sabé said, sitting up. She picked up her torn and bloodstained nightgown, regarded it for a moment, and then threw it in the trash. She pulled her coat on over her flimsy paper exam gown.   
"Now emotional damage is another thing," Dr. Turner continued as she washed her hands at the sink. "I suggest you get counseling - "   
"What I need right now is my husband," Sabé said firmly, buttoning her coat. She pulled on her shoes. "So if I am free to go…?" Dr. Turner shrugged.   
"You're free to go," she agreed. She pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to Sabé. "But if you change your mind about wanting counseling…" Sabé took the card and shoved it in her coat pocket.   
"Thank you. I will keep this card. Now, I want to see my husband."   


When Mace Windu returned to the Jedi Temple, he was greeted by the sight of piles of boxes stacked in the main foyer. Yoda and Obi-Wan were standing in the foyer, supervising the placement of the boxes that several Padawans were Force-levitating from a hovercar outside.   
"Moving day?" Windu asked mildly. "Or I should say, moving night?"   
"Yeah, for the Sith," Obi-Wan replied.   
"Boxes and boxes he had, that Sith Lord. Study it all we will," Yoda sighed. "Before us our work is, Master Windu," he said, motioning at the boxes.   
"There is also a dead body," Obi-Wan reminded Yoda. "Lady Sabé asked that Master Windu take care of it." Windu nodded.   
"I'll take some Padawans over right away."   
"The carpeting - " Obi-Wan began. Windu smiled, not allowing his exhaustion to show in his eyes.   
"I will take care of everything, Jedi Kenobi. Don't worry about a thing."   


Sabé leaned heavily on Anakin's arm as they walked up the hall to Palpatine's room.   
"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked her, looking down at her with concerned eyes. "Wouldn't you like to go home first, maybe shower and put on some clothes…?" She smiled up at him.   
"If it were Padmé in that hospital room, would YOU want to go home and change first?" she asked him. He shook his head.   
"I suppose not," he admitted.   
"I remember how you were when your twins were born," Sabé said. "You wouldn't leave her side… well, except for when you looked down, saw Leia crowning and passed out." Though he had not found it funny at the time, he laughed at the memory.   
"Some labor coach I was," he said ruefully. "It's a good thing you were there too."   
"Well, if it's any consolation, I doubt Palpatine will do any better when the time comes." As they reached Palpatine's door, they saw two doctors standing outside. The shorter doctor was chewing out his tall blond companion.   
"Oh my Aunt Sadie!" Mark Craig exclaimed angrily. "When are you going to learn to keep your big mouth shut, you moron?" The tall blond man shuffled his feet, hemming and hawing.   
"Well, I thought she was his wife…"   
"That's where thinking gets you, Erlich. That woman is in there is the Queen of the Naboo. And even if she WERE his wife, you should keep your stupid, tasteless jokes about the Chancellor's sex life to yourself."   
"Well, she's young, pretty… hey, I heard the old guy got himself married to some young Nubian sexpot. How was I supposed to know it wasn't her?" Anakin cleared his throat.   
"What do you want?" Craig snapped irritably.   
"I thought we'd go in and see how 'the old guy' is doing," Anakin said mildly. "I am Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker." Sabé smiled sweetly at Victor Erlich.   
"And I am the Nubian sexpot who married 'the old guy'."   
"Um," Erlich stammered. He turned crimson to the roots of his hair, then began babbling like a moron. "Oh wow, you sure don't look like a sexpot. Gee I guess all the rumors are wrong. I thought they must be true when I saw that other woman in there with him. Now you talk about a sexpot, boy SHE looks like she'd take it from anyone…" He saw that Anakin was glowering at him.   
"That 'other woman' is MY wife, Doctor." Anakin said quietly. Erlich looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him.   
"You are my husband's doctor?" Sabé asked Craig, ending the awkward moment. He smiled and extended his hand for her to shake.   
"Yes, I am Doctor Mark Craig, Chief of Surgery here at St. Eligius. I want you to know that your husband has received the finest medical care available on Coruscant - " She waved her hand impatiently.   
"If it is not too much trouble, The Nubian Sexpot would know her husband's condition," she said acidly. Erlich winced, and Craig shot him a dark look.   
"We're not sure what happened to him," Craig admitted. "There is hardly a mark on him, but neurological tests show that he endured unimaginable pain for a number of hours. And when he was admitted, there was some kind of stimulant in his system, probably kept him from passing out while whoever it was did whatever they did to him. He's not talking. He said the Jedi were handling it." Anakin nodded.   
"Yeah, we're totally on top of it," he murmured. Craig's gaze shifted back to Sabé.   
"Your husband is incredibly healthy for a man his age," Craig told her. "He has the heart and stamina of a twenty year old." Erlich snickered. Craig glared at Erlich, then continued. "He probably would not have survived otherwise."   
"How is that possible?" Sabé asked Craig. Anakin answered.   
"The Force," he said shortly. She nodded, understanding. Craig was completely lost, but tried not to show it.   
"So," he continued, "We will probably send him home tomorrow."   
"That soon?" Sabé asked, surprised. Craig shrugged.   
"There is nothing really wrong with your husband that lots of rest will not cure." She nodded.   
"Thank you, Doctor Craig. I will gladly take him home tomorrow. And," she continued, looking at Erlich with a glint of humor in her eye, "I shall try not to tire him with my incessant sexual demands." Erlich blushed again, but had the good sense to remain silent. Sabé took Anakin's arm again. "Come, Jedi Skywalker. We will go see how 'the old guy' I married and your sluttish wife are doing." Anakin decided that it probably wasn't physically possible for Erlich to turn redder. As they walked into Palpatine's room, they heard Erlich's voice.   
"I look like a tomato, don't I sir?" he asked.   
"With all that blood rushing to your head, maybe your brain will work for a change," Craig told him caustically. Padmé looked up as the door slid shut behind Anakin and Sabé.   
"Look who's here, Palpatine," Padmé said quietly, standing. Sabé rushed over to the bed and took her husband's hand. He opened his eyes and smiled up at her. Anakin walked over to Padmé and put an arm around her.   
"We'll just leave you two to it," he said quietly. Sabé nodded wordlessly.   
"We'll be back in the morning," Padmé promised. Sabé and Palpatine barely heard them go.   
"It is so good to see you, darling," Palpatine said quietly. "I am so sorry about… about what he did to you."   
"Who told you?" she demanded.   
"He did. He used the Force… he made me watch…"   
"Ah, gods, Palpatine," she murmured.   
"What did the doctors say?" he asked. She smiled.   
"The twins and I are both fine," she said. _Well, physically, anyway,_ she thought but did not say. He reached up to touch her cheek.   
"You should go home, get some rest," he told her gently. She shook her head.   
"No, I will stay here with you. And why not? How long did you stay with me when I miscarried our first child?"   
"But that was different. I had not just been… attacked."   
"Even so," she said, pulling the chair closer to the bed.   
"No," he said. "If you are determined to stay here, you are not sitting up all night in that chair." He pressed a button, lowering the guardrail on the side of his hospital bed.   
"There is not room enough for both of us," she protested.   
"Yes there is. I find I want to hold you very close indeed tonight."   
"Very well," she agreed, taking off her coat. "How do you like my new nightgown?" she asked, trying for a lightness she did not feel as she modeled her paper exam gown for him.   
"I do not like it," he said bitterly. "I am so sorry - "   
"Stop apologizing, Palpatine. It is neither your doing nor your fault." She climbed into the bed with him. When he took her in his arms, she cringed, tears springing to her eyes.   
"Oh my poor darling," he murmured, stroking her hair as her composure broke at last and she sobbed against his chest. "My poor, poor little one."   


"Wow," Padmé said as she and Anakin walked into Palpatine and Sabé's apartment. "You'd never know anything happened here." Sidious's body had been taken away, and the charred, bloodstained carpeting had been removed and replaced. Anakin shrugged.   
"The Jedi Council at work," he said. "Talk about pulling strings - they have their hands on every string in town."   
"Even in the middle of the night," she added. "Quite impressive."   
"What do you think?" Obi-Wan asked, walking in from the hall.   
"It's amazing," Padmé said.   
"Anakin, you will be needed at the Temple tomorrow," Obi-Wan said. Anakin frowned.   
"What for?"   
"We raided the Sith Lord's Cloister earlier tonight, and there's tons of stuff to go through. Every available Knight must report to the Temple."   
"For how long?" Padmé asked. Obi-Wan shrugged.   
"Indefinitely," he replied. Padmé sighed.   
"I suppose I will collect the twins and go back to Naboo," she said quietly.   
"No," Anakin said. "The children should come here to Coruscant so Obi-Wan and I can continue their training." Padmé narrowed her eyes at Anakin.   
"The Naboo do not send their children away," she reminded him.   
"They'll be with me," Anakin pointed out. "Their father. And we'll all return to Naboo when we're finished."   
"Well…" Aside from missing her husband and children, she could think of no logical objection.   
"We can discuss it in the morning," Obi-Wan said, yawning. "Right now, I think we all need some sleep."   
"I agree. Good night, Obi-Wan," Anakin said. Obi-Wan waved over his shoulder as he headed up the hall. Anakin took Padmé's hand and began leading her to their room.   
"No," she said quietly. He raised his eyebrows at her, but didn't protest when she led him back to Palpatine and Sabé's bedroom. The bedroom was just as it had been left; Sabé's dressing gown was at the foot of the bed and her slippers were on the floor beside it. The state of the bedclothes indicated that some sort of frantic activity had taken place there recently. Padmé grabbed Sabé's robe from the foot of the bed, tossed it onto a nearby chair and began methodically stripping the bed, trying hard to ignore the stains from Sabé's blood and from something else that she didn't want to think too hard about. She handed the bundle of bedclothes to Anakin. "Take these into the living room. Put them in the fireplace. And burn them." He nodded.   
When he returned sometime later, he found that she had remade the bed and was sitting on it, holding Sabé's dressing gown in her hands.   
"Mission accomplished, Milady," he said gravely, saluting her with an imaginary lightsaber. She smiled up at him. He went to sit next her on the bed. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, putting his arms around her.   
"This bed," she said. "It has bad vibes. Can you feel them?" He concentrated for a moment, then shrugged.   
"No."   
"Well, I do." Anakin smiled down at her.   
"Maybe," he said, kissing her, "we need to purify it for them." She returned his kiss.   
"Do you think so?" she asked, winding her arms around his neck. His hands were wandering up the back of her shirt.   
"I think so," he said. He pulled her shirt off and kissed his way down her chest.   
"If you believe it is truly necessary," she said breathlessly. His face was buried between her breasts, his reply incomprehensible. His hands under her skirt grew bolder. She gasped. He lifted his head and smiled at her.   
"Oh, I do," he said, pushing her back onto the bed. He smiled down at her. "It is the least we can do for our friends."   


"Ohhh, very naughty." Sabé and Palpatine woke with a start to see a man with a mass of black curly hair standing at the foot of Palpatine's hospital bed. He wore jeans, a Coruscant Coneheads T-shirt, and matching baseball cap. "Tsk , tsk, tsk. Good thing Papandrao didn't catch you two in bed together."   
"She is my wife," Palpatine informed the man.   
"So? Papandrao would still have kittens. That is strictly against hospital policy. Besides, doing it in hospital beds is boring. Doing it on a slab in the morgue, well…"   
"Ah, excuse me," Palpatine began politely, biting back the urge to demand, _Who said we were doing "it", anyway?_ Clearly, he had spent too much time with Anakin and Obi-Wan. The man smiled.   
"Doctor Wayne Fiscus, at your service," he said. "You probably don't remember me." Palpatine shook his head.   
"No, I'm sorry, I don't. I find it difficult to believe I would have forgotten such a unique individual."   
"'Unique individual'… I like that! Anyway, you were pretty out of it when we met in the ER yesterday." He picked up Palpatine's chart and scanned it quickly, talking all the while. "I just wanted to see how you were… oh, and I wanted to ask you if you know what this is for," he said, holding up a rubber exam glove. Sabé and Palpatine exchanged puzzled glances.   
"It's a rubber glove," Sabé said finally.   
"Yeah, but do you know what it's for?"   
"You wear them when you examine people?" she guessed, suppressing a shudder at the memory of her own recent examination.   
"Nope," Fiscus said.   
"All right," Palpatine said. "Show us." Fiscus beamed happily.   
"I thought you'd never ask.   


When Padmé, Anakin and Obi-Wan entered Palpatine's hospital room, they were stunned by the sight that greeted them. Palpatine and Sabé were crammed into Palpatine's narrow hospital bed. Standing at the foot of the bed was a young man who was stretching something over his head… it appeared to be a rubber exam glove.   
"Hey kids," Anakin said. "So… what's going on?" Palpatine shook his head.   
"I've no idea, Anakin. This is Doctor Fiscus."   
"Hi," Anakin said.   
"OK, watch closely," Fiscus said. He pulled the glove down over the top half of his head, so that his nose was tucked inside the glove's wristband. By inhaling through his mouth and exhaling through his nose, he was able to inflate the glove while it was on his head.   
"Are you sure he is a real doctor?" Padmé asked mildly. Sabé shrugged. The glove continued to inflate. Soon Fiscus's audience was in hysterics. The door to the hospital room slid open, and Dr. Craig walked in, followed by a black man pushing an empty hoverchair.   
"Time to go home, Chancellor," Dr. Craig said. "Luther is here to…" His voice trailed off as he noticed what was going on. "What the hell is this?" he demanded. The rubber glove on Fiscus's head suddenly freed itself with an audible _pop_ and went flying around the room."Fiscus! For crying out loud - !" 

Chapter 8

"How strange it will be for me tomorrow," Sabé remarked as she stood before the bathroom mirror, dabbing a bit of lotion under her eyes.

"What did you say, darling?" Palpatine called from the bedroom.

"Off," she told the light, which promptly winked out.Palpatine looked up from the book he was reading as she walked into the bedroom."I said, it will be strange for me tomorrow."Her long white nightgown swirled around her legs as she walked to the bed."We had all those guests, and I got used to having people around," she said, getting into bed. "Tomorrow Anakin will go to the Temple and you will return to the Senate, and I will be here all alone."Palpatine put his book on the nightstand and settled himself in the bed next to her.

"Well," he said after a moment. "Cook will be here tomorrow."She shook her head.

"No, tomorrow is cook's day off," she reminded him."We're stuck with my cooking tomorrow."She thought for a moment."I suppose I will have to go out and buy some groceries and get the dry cleaning.So at least I will get out of the house.Ah well, you and Anakin will return in the evening.I think I will make something special for dinner tomorrow night."Palpatine laughed."What's so funny?" she asked.He took her in his arms.

"Ah, how quickly we return to our mundane, ordinary lives," he joked, kissing her.After a moment, she laughed too.

"I was just thinking," she began, laughing again.

"Yes?" he asked mildly.

"Well, our marriage is so scandalous… we're constantly in the tabloids… people whisper about us behind their hands at those political functions we're always attending… Wouldn't everyone be surprised to learn how, well, how ordinary our life together really is?"Now Palpatine was laughing.

"You're right. I'm sure they all imagine that I'm, hmm, what was the expression the one tabloid used?Rotten shagging?"  
"Shagging me rotten," Sabé corrected him."I think 'rotten shagging' would be something else entirely."

"All right," he agreed."Anyway, they probably imagine that I'm 'shagging you rotten' every night, while we're actually just lying here talking about boring domestic things like the laundry and cook's days off."

"Well," she said after a moment, "We don't HAVE to just lie here, you know."

"The twins…" he began.She smiled.

"The doctors have said we're allowed," she told him.

"Have they?" 

"They have."Remaining in his embrace, she rolled him onto his back so that she lay on top of him, her hair tumbling down over both their faces.

"Ah, the wench grows bold," he mused quietly.She giggled.He stroked her hair, running his fingers though its silken softness.

"You know, I AM known in certain circles as The Nubian Sexpot," she reminded him, reaching down with one hand."Oh!" she exclaimed in mock surprise."Look what I found!"

"Remind me," he said, pulling her nightgown up."Is it 'rotten shagging' or 'shagging rotten'?I want to be sure to get it right."

Forty-five minutes later, Palpatine sat on the sofa in his living room.He was wrapped in a thick blue robe and sipping a brandy.Sabé sat next to him, gazing blankly at the floor, her hair in disarray, her hastily donned robe tied crookedly.Anakin, wearing a robe and clutching the hilt of his lightsaber, paced the floor in front of them.

"I am SO SORRY," he repeated again and again.Palpatine sighed and sipped his brandy.

"No I am sorry," Sabé murmured."It is my fault."Palpatine put his arm around her and pulled her against him.

"It isn't anyone's fault," Palpatine said, kissing the top of her head."Except perhaps mine.I should have known you weren't up to it."

"I was up to it," Sabé protested.She looked up at Palpatine."It's just… when you were… and I looked up and saw your face, and my mind flashed on when he…" Her eyes filled with tears, and Palpatine held her more tightly.

"I'm sorry," Anakin said again.He shook his head, trying to make sense of what had happened moments ago."I was sound asleep, and this scream woke me up, and I thought… I don't know what I thought.I didn't think.I just acted.I'm some Jedi Knight," he said bitterly, waving the hilt of his lightsaber for emphasis."I can't protect her from the Sith, but I manage to protect her from her husband."

"It's not your fault, Anakin," Palpatine told him."I'm actually grateful that you came running when you heard her scream."

"Well, next time I'll knock first," he promised.

"Hopefully, there will not be a next time," Palpatine said.They were all silent for a moment.

"One day," Sabé said slowly, "we will look back on this and laugh."

"I am surprised Anakin isn't laughing now," Palpatine said.Anakin glanced over at them, a gleam of humor in his eye.

"You know me pretty well, Palpatine," he said.

"After tonight, we all know each other pretty well," he retorted, honestly not intending the remark to be funny.That was it; Anakin couldn't contain his laughter any longer.After a moment, Sabé was giggling.

"Oh, the look on your face, Anakin… it was absolutely priceless." And now she was laughing too.

"The looks on your faces were pretty good too," Anakin said, now laughing so hard that he was gasping for air."I never saw Palpatine's eyes get so big."

"Well, it's not often I'm literally caught in the act of making love to my wife by a naked Jedi Knight brandishing an ignited lightsaber and yelling 'what the fuck is going on?' at the top of his lungs.I'm lucky I didn't have a heart attack!"

"You?" Anakin said."I thought _I_ was gonna have one.I could have fucking DIED when I stormed into your bedroom and saw…" He waved his hand, unwilling to continue that train of thought.Anakin glanced at Palpatine, a wicked glint in his eye."Wait 'til I tell Padmé…"

"You wouldn't!" Palpatine protested, mortified.Sabé only laughed harder.

"Good morning, Chancellor," Sara said brightly as Palpatine strolled through the reception area of his suite of offices."That must've been a really nasty cold you had.Are you feeling better now?" 

"Yes, thank you Sara," he said, giving her a warm smile.

"Good.Last time I saw you, you just weren't acting like yourself."

"Well, I wasn't really myself then," he told her, opening his office._You've no idea how true that is,_ he thought.He went to his desk and sat down.The e-mail icon was flashing on his computer monitor, the voicemessage light on his voicephone was blinking, and mail was piled up in his inbox.He sighed.

"There you are, Palpatine," Valorum said, walking into the office.

"Here I am," Palpatine agreed.He began leafing through the stack of mail, tossing some into the trashcan after only the briefest glance."Damn junk mail," he muttered.

"I haven't seen you for awhile," Valorum continued, taking a seat across from Palpatine's desk.

"Hmmm," Palpatine replied absently.

"Understand you had a bit of a cold."

"What?" 

"A cold.Sara said you had a cold, old boy.Feeling better now?"

"Look at this rubbish," Palpatine complained, still sorting through the mail.

"Take anything for it?" Valorum asked.

"What, for the rubbish?"

"No, you silly old goose.For your cold." 

"No."

"You should have," Valorum advised."You still don't look all that hot."

"Don't I?I can't think why." Palpatine imagined the look on Valorum's face if he were to tell his old friend about his misadventures the previous night.Still cringing in embarrassment at the memory, he brought his mind back to the present and realized Valorum was asking him a question."I'm sorry, my mind wandered.What were you saying?"

"I said, I heard your intern quit while you were gone."Palpatine looked up from his papers.

"What?"

"Sara didn't tell you?"Palpatine shook his head."Damnedest thing.She just walked out.Went to lunch and never came back.Honestly, kids today…"

Sabé collected the last item on her grocery list and pushed the hovercart towards the checkout counters.As she maneuvered the cart into line, she glanced over at the magazine rack and saw her own face staring back from the cover of one of Coruscant's most notoriously sleezy tabloids.In front of her, two bored housewives were perusing a copy of the same tabloid, scrutinizing the photographs and loudly speculating about the Chancellor's marriage.

"He doesn't love her," the first one said."She's just a trophy, a pretty thing he can dangle on his arm when he goes to those fancy political shindigs."Sabé pulled the hood of her lavender cloak up even further and ducked her head, hoping that she would not be recognized.

"Well, he never would've gotten her if he weren't the Supreme Chancellor," the second one said. "Look at her, she's beautiful.Why would a beautiful young girl like that marry him if it weren't for the power he has?"Never one to stand by timidly, Sabé could remain quiet no longer.

"Perhaps they love each other," she suggested.The two housewives turned towards her, identical looks of incredulity on their faces.

"Honey," the second woman said, "If you believe that, you don't know much about much."

"It does say here that she had power of her own before she married him," the first one observed as she scanned the article."Says here she is Lady of Naboo."

"What's a Naboo?" 

"Naboo is the planet they're from," the first woman said."Look, it says here that she was one of the Naboo queen's handmaidens."The second woman shrugged.

"What has more prestige, being some queen's handmaiden or being the Supreme Chancellor's wife?Get serious.Palpatine's no prize.He's ugly and I hear he's got the personality of an eggplant on top of it.If he didn't have all that power, she never would've even looked twice at him.She's just like that conniving little bitch who stole my husband," the second woman continued."These little sluts don't care about the men, they just want what the men can give them.Money, power, position, you name it.But they have to pay the price, letting those old horny toads pump away on top of them night after night - "

"How do you dare!" Sabé exclaimed furiously, her head jerking up and her hood falling down around her shoulders."Just because your own husband left you for a younger woman!" The two housewives stared at her in shock as she continued."Well and well, it is little wonder he did, is it?No doubt he preferred her company to that of a gossiping shrew who spends more time worrying about what other people are doing than she does worrying about whether he is happy!You know nothing of the people you gossip about, aside from the lies you read in these seedy tabloids.It is a shame that you have nothing more important to occupy your mind.Perhaps if you did, you would still be married!"As Sabé paused for breath, she was dimly aware that she was creating a scene, but she couldn't seem to stop herself."So I suggest that you get yourself a hobby, get yourself a new man, and leave the rest of us alone!"Sabé noticed her fellow shoppers gaping at her in amazement and she felt the blush creep up her cheeks.

"You tell 'em, girl!" one woman yelled from the next lane over.

"Oh my," Sabé murmured, mortified at her own outburst.She pulled her hood back up over her head and hastily put her groceries on the conveyor belt.

"You do your own shopping?"Sabé turned her head to see the second housewife staring at her.

"Yes," she replied shortly."As do you, I see.And what of it?"

"I'm surprised," the second woman continued."I would have thought you'd have servants to do it."Sabé shrugged."Look," the woman continued, "I'm sorry about…"

"It is nothing to me," Sabé replied coldly.

"Listen, I'm trying to apologize here - " Sabé cut her off.

"Think you that you're the first to say those things about my husband and I?You are not even the first to say them to my face."The woman had the good grace to look embarrassed."I care not what anyone says."She gave the cashier a fifty credit note and began putting bags of groceries in her hovercart."And I am far too busy to stand here and listen to an apology that you do not truly mean."

"Hey - "

"You are not sorry for what you said.You are only sorry that I heard it and now you feel like an ill-mannered fool."Still fuming, Sabé pushed the hovercart out of the store.

_Wanted,_ Palpatine typed_.Intern for Palpatine of Naboo.Must be willing to work long hours for little pay and virtually no recognition (at least I am honest).Should be able to type, file, greet visitors, schedule appointments, answer calls, and…_ he sipped his coffee and made a face._…make a decent cup of coffee.Apply in person at the Supreme Chancellor's suite, Senate Building.Ask for Sara._He reread the advert a few times, nodded to himself, and posted it to the GovNet board where the political science students hung out online.The intercom on his desk beeped, and he pushed the acknowledge button.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Anakin Skywalker is here to see you, sir," Sara's voice said over the intercom. 

"Oh?"Palpatine asked.

"Yes.He says it's important."Palpatine sighed.

"I suppose you'd better send him in," he finally said.A moment later, his office door slid open, and Sara appeared, escorting a man in a brown Jedi cloak, the hood pulled up over his head."Thank you, Sara," Palpatine told her.She nodded and left, the door sliding shut behind her.The Knight removed his hood.

"Hey, Palpatine," Anakin said, taking a seat across from Palpatine's desk."How are you doing?"Palpatine rubbed his eyes.

"How do you think?"

"Yeah, well…" Anakin brought his thumb to his mouth and began chewing nervously on its cuticle.Palpatine sensed that Anakin was having a difficult time getting around to the reason for this audience.

"How are things at the Temple?" Palpatine asked.Anakin sighed.

"I just finished reading Darth Sidious's journal."Palpatine frowned.

"Who is Darth Sidious?" he asked. 

"That's right, of course you wouldn't know.Darth Sidious was the Sith name your brother was given."Palpatine was quiet for a long moment.

"I see," he finally said."And this journal… I suppose it's filled with terrible things?"Anakin nodded.

"I'm afraid so.In fact, I came here to warn you about one of them."  
"Oh?"

"Yeah.Evidently Sidious was involved in some kind of deal with your old pals from the Trade Federation.They agreed to help him get you elected Chancellor and to help him take over your position in exchange for…."

"For what?" Palpatine asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"For being given free reign to operate a slaving franchise openly throughout the entire Galaxy.Your… ah, Sidious planned to declare himself Emperor eventually – Emperor Palpatine."

"My goodness, how awful."

"He was going to dissolve the Senate and control everything directly," Anakin finished."Everyone in the Galaxy would have eventually been a slave to him in one way or another."

"My gods," Palpatine said quietly, his head spinning."That's just… dreadful."

"Yeah," Anakin said quietly.He stood."So I figured you'd want to keep an eye on those clowns.Who knows what they might pull next."Palpatine sighed.

"It's always something, isn't it?I'm beginning to think I am not destined to have a quiet life."

"Oh Chase," Brock Hardman moaned."I'll do anything, if only you'll take me back!I've been such a fool!"

"You sure have," Sabé muttered at the tiny holovid that was projected into a small square on her kitchen countertop.She dumped a cup of flour into a bowl and added two eggs, returning her attention to "As Alderaan Turns".

"Oh Brock," Chase Flittertwit moaned."It's you I've always loved!Take me now, you big stud!"Sabé groaned in disgust.

"Idiot child," she muttered."He'll only cheat on you again."The main door to the apartment slid open.

"Hi honey," Anakin called."I'm home."He walked into the kitchen."How are our beautiful children?" he asked Sabé jokingly.

"I killed them and I'm baking them into this cake," she replied, matching his tone as she stirred the cake batter.

"Good," he replied."They got on my nerves anyway."She laughed.

"How was the Temple?" she asked.He shrugged, opening the refrigeration unit.

"OK I guess," he said, sounding like a kid telling his mom about his first day of school.He shut the fridge door and got a spoon out of a drawer."We're still going through all that stuff we took from the Sith's Cloister," he told her, opening the jar of peanut butter he'd gotten out of the fridge.He spooned out a healthy portion and shoved it in his mouth."Mwgh uma," he told her, his mouth peanut buttered shut.

"Anakin," she chided."You shouldn't eat it out of the container.Palpatine would go spare if he could see you."Anakin shrugged.

"Anyway, we'll be at it for a long time.That guy had a lot of junk."

"Have you heard from Padmé?" she asked.

"No," he replied, taking another spoonful of peanut butter."Mve moo?"

"No.But she probably hasn't even gotten to Tatooine yet.I can't wait to hear what this Owen Lars person is like.Imagine Obi-Wan having a brother."

"Yeah," Anakin said, swallowing."He's a moister farmer."

"What's that?"

"I'm not sure... I THINK it has something to do with extracting moisture from the atmosphere.I never paid much attention to farming when I was there.I hung with the podracers, pilots and mechanics."Sabé reached over and switched off the holovid.

"Listen, Anakin," she began.

"Yeah?" He shoved another spoonful of peanut butter into his mouth.

"I'm sorry about last night.I…" Unable to look at him, she measured out sugar and dumped it in the bowl.

"Don't worry about it," he told her."It's not something you get over overnight, I'm sure…. I mean, what happened to you."She nodded.He walked over and put his arm around her."Just remember, he can't hurt you or anyone else ever again.He's dead."She sighed.

"My only regret," she said quietly, "is that he died so quickly."

"You had an uneventful journey?" Palpatine asked Padmé's holographic image.

"Yes… it was wonderfully boring," she replied."I have had enough excitement to last me for awhile."He nodded.

"And how are the twins?" 

"They've grown since you last saw them," she said, smiling."In fact, they've grown since I last saw them!It seems that a few weeks on Tatooine hasn't done them any harm."

"I am absolutely dying to know," Palpatine said."What is this Owen Lars person like?"

"Grim," Padmé replied."Abrasive.Pragmatic.I doubt he's ever cracked a smile in his life."Palpatine shook his head.

"So he's nothing like Obi-Wan," he said.

"Well," she said thoughtfully, "They have the same father, different mothers.The father never married either one of the women."

"That doesn't sound like Obi-Wan," Palpatine replied.

"How so?"

"Well, if Obi-Wan ever put a girl in the club, he'd do the responsible thing."Padmé laughed.

"Speaking of girls who are in the club, how is Sabé?" she asked.He hesitated a moment before answering.

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," he said finally.She frowned.

"Problems?" she asked, switching to Nubian. 

"None that I'm willing to discuss on an open channel in any language," he replied, also in Nubian.She sighed.

"Very well," she agreed."I will be there soon, and then we will talk."

"Until then," he said, breaking the connection.Sara walked into his office.

"You posted on GovNet about a new intern?" she asked.

"Yes, a few hours ago," he told her."Why?"She sighed.

"You should see the crowd in your outer office," she told him."There are at least sixty students here wanting the job."

"That many?"

"Yes, sir.That many."

"I am astonished," he said.

"Well, working in the Supreme Chancellor's office will look really good on a résumé."

"Ah, yes… well, have you begun to sort them out?"She shook her head.

"No, I don't have time.I'm going to take their résumés and schedule appointments for them to come back and interview with me.But in the meantime, I was hoping you'd post a message saying that we have all the applicants we can handle for the moment."He nodded.

"Certainly.In fact, I'll do it now," he promised.She smiled gratefully.

"Thanks.Oh, by the way, there is one applicant who really stands out from the others."

"Oh?"

"Yes.He attends Coruscant University."Palpatine's eyebrows went up.

"My," he said."Very impressive."She shook her head.

"Yeah, but that's not it.Most of these kids are the best and brightest, but this kid has nerve, too - a LOT of nerve.Know what he said to me?"Palpatine shook his head."He told me to come in here and tell you that you don't even need to bother with the other applicants, because, and he told me it's very important to say it to you exactly like this, 'those guys are weird'."To her surprise, Palpatine smiled.

"A Rodian, is he?" he asked.Her eyebrows went up.

"Yes," she confirmed, sounding puzzled."How did you know, sir?"Palpatine's smile grew wider.

"Tell him he's hired, and send the others away.I'll write a post to GovNet saying the position's been filled."

"Don't you even want me to look at his résumé first?"He shook his head.

"No, I'm sure he's a very hard worker."

"Well, don't you at least want to meet him?" she asked.

"No, there's no need," he replied.Sara shrugged.

"Whatever you say, sir," she agreed, walking out.Palpatine leaned back in his chair.

_Wait until I tell Anakin,_ he thought.Still smiling, Palpatine got to work composing another post for the GovNet board.

Chapter 9

The door chime sounded, and Sabé went to answer it.The apartment door slid open to reveal the two small Skywalker children clutching plastic shopping bags.They were accompanied by Anakin and a very tired looking Padmé.The twins raced into the apartment, while their parents followed at a more sedate pace.Anakin nodded a greeting at Sabé and continued up the hallway towards the bedrooms, Force-levitating a pile of luggage behind him.

"We brought gifts for everyone!" Luke told Sabé happily as she bent to hug him.Gently, he put his small arms around her heck."See?I remembered not to hug you too hard.Was that OK?" he asked, sounding concerned.Sabé laughed.

"It was fine, child."She bent to hug Leia."My, how you've grown!"

"Haven't they?" Padmé asked.She embraced Sabé, and then stared critically at her friend's stomach."It seems you've grown a tiny bit too!"Sabé laughed, patting the barely noticeable bulge in her otherwise flat abdomen.

"No need to order the maternity wardrobe just yet," she said.

"Mummy said you're going to have some babies!" Luke said.

"Twins like us," Leia added.

"That's right," Sabé said.

"We know where babies come from," Leia told her sagely.Sabé smiled.

"Oh?"

"Yes," Leia said."They grow in women's tummies."

"That's right," Sabé agreed.

"But how do they get out?" Leia asked.Sabé and Padmé exchanged a look.

"Well," Padmé began.

"And how do they get IN there in the first place?" Luke asked.

"Ah, well…" Sabé began, blushing.

"So," Anakin said, walking into the living room."Where are these gifts I was promised?"

"Here!" The twins exclaimed in unison, holding up their shopping bags and momentarily forgetting their curiosity about the logistics involved in getting babies into and out of women's tummies.

"Thank you," Padmé mouthed to her husband.

"Sure," he agreed."Er, for what?"

"Never mind," Sabé said.

"Where is Uncle?" Luke asked suddenly.

"He is working, child," Sabé answered.Luke frowned.

"We can't give out gifts until he gets back," he informed them.

"That's right," Leia nodded."Everyone has to be here."

"Ben too," Luke added.Anakin frowned.

"Obi-Wan," he corrected.Luke shook his head.

"Don't say that name in THIS house, mister," he muttered. 

"What did you say, Luke?" Padmé asked.

"Uncle Owen doesn't like Ben being a Jedi," Leia supplied."Uncle Owen said Ben is a crazy wizard, all Jedi are."

"I don't know if I would go that far," Sabé murmured.

"Well, in THIS house you will call him 'Obi-Wan' as you are supposed to do," Anakin told them firmly.

"And he's a pre-vert," Luke suddenly said.

"Pervert," Padmé corrected automatically, and then frowned."Who's a pervert?"

"Ben, I mean Obi-Wan," Leia said."Uncle Owen said so."

"Well, Uncle Owen is not right about everything," Anakin said.The twins nodded soberly.

"What's a pervert?" Luke asked curiously.Padmé and Anakin exchanged a glance.

"Anyone who doesn't behave the way Uncle Owen believes they should," Padmé finally replied.

"Oh," Leia said brightly."Then Luke and I are perverts too!"

"That's not – " Padmé began.The main door slid open.

"Hello everybody," Palpatine said cheerfully as he walked into the living room, dropping his attaché case on a chair.

"Uncle!" The twins exclaimed, racing over for hugs.

"My goodness, how you've grown," he told them, hugging them both.

"We brought gifts!" Leia told him.

"And holopics," Luke added."Want to see?"

"Children, let Uncle sit down and relax for a moment," Padmé chided.

"That's quite all right," Palpatine said, walking over to greet her."Your – " he began.

"Ah," she said, wagging a finger at him.He smiled.

"Padmé," he said warmly, hugging her.The door chime sounded and Sabé went to answer it.

"I heard there are two very unruly children here," Obi-Wan said, following Sabé into the living room.

"Ben!" Leia yelled, throwing herself into his arms.

"Pre-vert," Luke muttered.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.Padmé shot her son a quelling look.

"_Never mind_," she said through clenched teeth.Luke shrugged sheepishly.

"Gift time!" Leia said, holding up her plastic shopping bag.

"All right," Padmé agreed, smiling.She sat on the sofa with Anakin, while Palpatine and Obi-Wan took seats across from them.Sabé perched on the arm of Palpatine's chair.

"Daddy first!" Luke decided, handing Anakin a small, hastily wrapped object.Anakin soon found that whoever had wrapped his present had been overzealous in the application of tape."Open it!" Luke urged impatiently as Anakin struggled with the wrapping paper.

"I'm trying!" he said, laughing. 

"I TOLD you not to use so much tape," Leia scolded.

"It's all right," Anakin said, hoping to forestall an argument between the twins."See?I got it open."He looked down at the object, his face breaking into a big grin."Well, thank you!" he said, holding up the small replica of a podracer for the others to see."I used to race in a podracer not too different from this."Anakin hugged his children.

"I'm glad you like it, Daddy," Leia said.

The twins continued to distribute the gifts.There was a bottle of perfume for Padmé, a canister of herbal tea for Sabé, a packet of seeds that would grow into a very rare variety of purple-black petunia for Palpatine, and a white t-shirt for Obi-Wan that proclaimed in red lettering, "My Padawan Learner Went to Mos Eisley Spaceport and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt".

"We also bought gifts for all the handmaidens, and a silly hat for Captain Panaka," Luke told his parents.

"Just what Panaka needs: another silly hat," Anakin murmured, earning an elbow in the ribs from his wife.

"What thoughtful children you've raised," Palpatine remarked."I hope Sabé and I do as well."

"I'm sure you will," Padmé told him.

"We're going to teach them to be Jedi like us," Luke said.

"Really?" Palpatine asked, amused.

"Yeah, I had a dream about it," Leia said offhandedly."When Luke and I are made Knights, they'll be our Padawans."Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance.

"Well," Sabé said, standing."That's very interesting, Leia.Why don't you and Luke come into the kitchen with me and we'll see if there are any cookies left."

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine," Padmé counted, running the brush through her shiny chestnut hair."One hundred!"Anakin walked into the bedroom and came up behind her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her against him.

"Beautiful," he murmured, burying his face in her softly scented hair and kissing her neck.

"Are the twins asleep?" she asked quietly.He smiled against her neck.

"Well on their way to dreamland," he assured her, slipping a hand inside the front of her silk dressing gown."They could barely keep their eyes open while I read to them." 

"I know how they feel!" she replied."Traveling with two small children is not my idea of fun.'Are we there yet?''When are we getting there?'For two days.TWO DAYS, Anakin." Anakin laughed, pulling his hand out of her gown."What are you doing?" she asked, turning to face him.

"I thought you were tired…" he began.She smiled up at him.

"I am," she replied, putting her arms around him."But I'm not too tired for THAT!"

"Today, you're going to learn the fundamentals of using a lightsaber," Master Windu told the children who were seated on the floor before him, their legs folded and their faces turned attentively upward.Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in the back of the gymnasium, watching Windu pace the floor as he lectured the class."This is a lightsaber," The Jedi Master said, holding the hilt of his weapon aloft for all to see.He ignited it, the green blade humming as he sliced it through the air.He walked over to a metal pipe that was resting on two supports."It is not a toy," Windu said, at the same time bringing the green blade down to slice the metal pipe neatly in two.As the pieces clattered and clanked on the floor, the children _oooed_ and _ahhhed_ appreciatively."Now," Windu said, deactivating the lightsaber and hooking it on his belt, "using a lightsaber is more complicated than 'the bright end goes in the other guy'."Several children giggled, and Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged smiles at Windu's old joke."At all times, you will observe the safety rules.Rule number one: There is to be no horseplay.Failure to observe this rule will result in ten demerits AND indefinite suspension from this class.Rule number two…" Anakin and Obi-Wan listened as Windu went through all of the safety rules.Some of the children began to fidget impatiently.Anakin smiled as he saw Luke wriggling and squirming in his place on the floor.Master Windu suddenly stopped talking and focused his attention on the small blond boy."Am I boring you, Padawan Skywalker?"Anakin saw the blond head shake in denial.

"No, sir," Luke said respectfully.

"Then why are you having such a difficult time paying attention?"

"Uh, I have to pee," Luke told him seriously."Sir," he added belatedly.The other children snickered and giggled and watched Master Windu fight an unsuccessful battle to maintain his serious demeanor.

"Very well, Padawan Skywalker," Windu said gravely.The two Jedi watched the small child make his way to the gymnasium's exit as Windu resumed speaking.

"You know, this is good for them," Obi-Wan told Anakin quietly, meaning the twins."They need other teachers besides us."Anakin nodded.

"Yeah, they really should be trained here at the Temple.But Padmé will not budge on the subject."Obi-Wan sighed.

"Well, at least they can attend classes here while we are occupied with the study of the Sith." 

"Which reminds me," Anakin said, digging in the pocket of his robe to retrieve a piece of paper."I got a message earlier.Palpatine wants to see me."

"About what?" Obi-Wan asked.Anakin shrugged.

"Beats me," he said, turning to leave the gym."I have to admit it makes for an interesting change.Usually when I show up at his office, he tells me to get lost."Obi-Wan laughed.

"That's because you usually only show up at his office when you're bored and need someone to torment," he said.

"There may be some small kernel of truth in that," Anakin agreed, laughing."Want to tag along?"Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Can't," he replied."Yoda has me teaching Intermediate Dueling this afternoon."

"Remember," Anakin told him, "the bright end goes in the other guy."Obi-Wan smirked.

"Cute."

"I have evidence, Viceroy," Palpatine told the Neimoidian's holographic image.The Viceroy's mouth turned down in displeasure.

"I am not aware of any evidensssse," the Neimoidian hissed, shrugging elaborately."Ssssurely if we were running a sssslave ring, ssssomeone would have complained to the SSSssssenate, Palpatine."

"_Chancellor_ Palpatine," he corrected irritably, looking up to see Anakin standing in his office doorway.Sara, who stood just out of range of the holophone's camera, motioned to Anakin to remain where he was for the moment.

"Of courssse," the Viceroy agreed, bowing his head in contrition."I intended no disssspressspect."

"I'm sure," Palpatine replied sarcastically."I am warning you, Viceroy, that I intend to appoint a Special Committee to conduct a thorough investigation."

"I am not worried about it. There is no evidensssse."Palpatine's eyebrows went up.

"Are you certain about that, Viceroy?" he asked innocently, motioning Anakin forward into the camera's range."This is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.He and the other Jedi are investigating this matter as we speak."A worried expression crept across the Viceroy's face.

"That's right, Viceroy," Anakin agreed."We happen to have in our possession a number of records which document your connections not only to a slave ring, but to the Sith as well.Once we are done sorting through them, we will submit them to the Chancellor's Office."

"That issss IMPOSSSIBLE!" The Neimoidian protested, sounding close to panic."There issss no evidensssse!"Palpatine smiled coldly.

"We will see," he replied icily, motioning to Sara to cut the connection.The hologram winked out of existence.Sara walked over and took a seat near Palpatine's desk, which was littered with papers, two sub sandwiches, potato chips and drinks.She picked up a half-eaten submarine sandwich and took a bite. 

"So uh, whazzup?" Anakin asked, sitting. He reached over, picked up Palpatine's sandwich and took a bite.

"That's my lunch!" Palpatine protested, half-rising and attempting to snatch the sandwich out of Anakin's hand.

"Yuck," Anakin said, tossing the sandwich back on the desk."You can keep it."

"What's wrong, too healthy for you?" Palpatine asked acidly, picking the sandwich up and inspecting it carefully, as though he expected to see germs crawling all over it.

"Must be it." Anakin agreed amiably."So, is that what you wanted to see me about?" he asked, indicating the Neimoidian Viceroy by motioning towards the holophone."You needed a Big Bad Jedi to scare his scaly little ass?"Palpatine shook his head.

"No," he said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Uh, hey," a voice said from the doorway.They looked over to see a Rodian standing there, clutching a book titled _Learn Nubian In Thirty Days._"I just stopped by to say hi to Jedi Skywalker here."

"I see you're moving up in the world," Anakin said, grinning.

"Yeah," the Rodian agreed.

"How's the book, Gordo?" Sara asked, pulling her thick, curly red hair back and using a rubber band to secure it into a ponytail.The Rodian shrugged and said something in Nubian.Palpatine leaned forward in his seat, his brows furrowed.

"No, I don't believe I want to borrow your beach ball," he replied, obviously amused."I do appreciate the offer, though."

"The book is crap," Gordo told Sara.Anakin laughed.

"Lemme see it," he said, taking the book.The Jedi flipped through the pages for a moment, then looked up at Palpatine and spoke in Nubian.

"Very funny," Palpatine replied, his cheeks crimsoning.A huge grin on his face, Anakin continued to read from the book until Palpatine snatched it out of his hand."I think that will be enough vulgarity for one day, Anakin."

"You are zero fun, Palpatine.You know that, right?"

"So I've been told," Palpatine agreed, sighing.Sara finished her sandwich, tossed the wrapper in the trash, and stood.

"Don't forget what I told you, sir," she said, picking up her soda and a bunch of papers.

"Maternity leave, right," he replied absently, taking another bite of sandwich.Sara shook her head.

"No, I will be leaving permanently when the baby is born," she reminded him.

"Oh yes, right." he agreed.

"You're having a baby?" Anakin asked.She smiled and nodded, patting her flat abdomen. 

"Yeah, in about eight months or so," she said.

"Congratulations," Anakin told her.Palpatine took another bite of his sandwich and pointed at the Rodian.

"There's your replacement," he told her.Gordo's mouth fell open in astonishment."Begin training him," Palpatine continued, finishing the sandwich.

"I… I don't know what to say, sir," Gordo said.

"Say you'll take the job," Anakin instructed.

"I'll take the job," he replied obediently."I can't believe I just went from being a lowly intern to the Supreme Chancellor's personal assistant."As he turned to follow Sara out, Anakin's voice stopped him.

"Say it," the Jedi prompted, grinning.

"You guys are weird," Gordo told them, following Sara out of the office.The door slid shut.

"She looks familiar," Anakin said, meaning Sara.

"You've seen her a hundred times, Anakin," Palpatine reminded him."She ought to look familiar by now."Anakin made a face.

"Yeah, but I know I've seen her somewhere else…" Anakin thought for a moment."Of course!I've seen a holopic of her."

"Really?Where?"

"At the Temple.Her husband is a Jedi Master.Master Gabriel Jade."

"Ah, yes, that's right," Palpatine agreed."I'd forgotten that."

"So," Anakin said, leaning forward in his seat."What did you want to see me about?"

"That bastard Maurice," Palpatine said quietly.

"Yeah," Anakin agreed."Your brother was a real sweetheart."Palpatine snorted.He stood and looked out the window at the air traffic outside.It was a while before he spoke.

"You say the Force is strong in me," he said quietly.

"Yeah, it is," Anakin agreed.

"I wonder what made my brother's master choose him over me.I wonder about that a lot, Anakin."Anakin stood and joined Palpatine at the window.

"It's not your fault," Anakin told him, laying a hand on the Chancellor's shoulder.Palpatine jumped in surprise at the sharp crackling shock, like a charge of static electricity.He saw that Anakin was giving him an odd look."Did you feel that?" Anakin asked.

"Of course I felt it," Palpatine replied."Why?" Anakin smiled.

"That's what happens when two Force auras come into contact.I'm surprised you felt it, though.You were never trained to use the Force.It's a shame.You would've made a great Jedi."

"I doubt that very much," Palpatine said.Anakin was quiet for a moment.

"According to your brother's journal, your family was traveling to Deneba when your ship was attacked.You were going to visit some of your mother's relatives.Your mother was very proud, because both of you had been accepted for training at the Temple."

"That can't be," Palpatine said, astonished."The Naboo – "

"Your family wasn't Naboo," Anakin reminded him.Palpatine nodded.

"Of course," he murmured.He gave Anakin a funny smile."We would have been Jedi… ah, you don't know how ironic that is.When I was lying in my brother's prison, I wished that I were a Jedi."

"Your children will be Jedi," Anakin said."That is, if you will send them for training."

"They will be trained," Palpatine said firmly.

"Oh?And what does Sabé say about that?" Anakin wondered.

"I have not discussed it with her, though I have no doubt I will have a fight on my hands.However, I am not going to budge on this.If the Temple wants them for training, they will go.I was unable to defend myself from my brother, and I will not make that mistake with my children.They must be able to defend themselves if the need arises." 

"Your brother was the last of the Sith," Anakin told him."Your children will never face that threat."

"Was the Dark side destroyed when my brother died?"

"No," Anakin admitted, frowning.Palpatine smiled sadly.

"There will be other Sith, Anakin.As long as the power exists, someone will find a way to abuse it for his own ends.The Jedi should not be studying my brother's possessions; they should destroy them."Anakin sighed.

"I don't know, Palpatine.You could be right."

# CHECK OUT CHAPTER 10, POSTED SEPARATELY…


	4. Chapter 10

# 

# "The Naboo Chronicles Part 10"

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: Not mine the _Star Wars_ characters are.Belong to George Lucas they do.Not mine is Dunkin' Donuts.Belongs to itself Dunkin' Donuts does.For more information, to [http://www.DunkinDonuts.com][1] you must go.Making no money from this am I.Money would lead to lawsuits.Lawsuits lead to lawyers.Lawyers lead to suffering.

"I do NOT believe, this," Anakin moaned, pacing the floor of the reception area of the Supreme Chancellor's offices.He brandished a data card."This HAS to be a mistake."Sara, who had grown visibly pregnant since the last time Anakin had seen her, walked into the room.

"Let me see," she said, taking the data card and plugging it into a datapad on her desk.She scanned the small screen briefly, unplugged the card, and handed it back to him, smiling."Nope.No mistake."

"Arrrgh!This is his sick, twisted revenge for all those Mind Tricks, I know it!" Anakin exclaimed, jamming the card into the pocket of his Jedi robes.He sank into one of the chairs in the reception area and put his head in his hands.Sara laughed.

"There are worse things, Jedi Skywalker," she consoled him.He snorted.

"Worse things?Name one," he challenged.She thought about it for a moment.

"Well…"

"See?" he asked accusingly."You can't think of any either!"

"Good morning!" Palpatine exclaimed cheerfully as he walked into the reception area.Gordo followed behind, carrying a cardboard tray bearing four large, steaming cups of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.Palpatine gave Anakin a brilliant smile."It's simply WONDERFUL to see you this morning, Jedi Skywalker.Is there anything in particular that brings you to my office today?" he asked innocently. 

"You rotten son of a – " Anakin began, standing and jabbing a finger at Palpatine for emphasis.

"Yes, well, I'm sure that's very interesting," Palpatine said breezily, hurrying past Anakin and unlocking his office."Do join me in my office, would you?As you see, Gordo here was kind enough to pick up coffee for all of us."Glaring murderously, Anakin stalked into Palpatine's office.Suppressing smiles, Sara and Gordo followed."Now Anakin," Palpatine was saying mildly."I can assure you I've never done THAT; no Gungan would stand for it."Gordo shook his head.

"You guys are weird," he told them, setting the coffees on Palpatine's desk.

"You noticed," Sara murmured, taking one of the coffees out of the tray and adding cream and sweetener.Giving it a quick stir, she sipped it cautiously."Mmm, that's really good!"

"Yeah," Gordo agreed."Dunkin' Donuts makes good coffee."Sara and Gordo walked out together, shutting the door behind them.Palpatine took a coffee and sat down at his desk, motioning for Anakin to take a seat.

"I see you've received my subpoena," Palpatine said, smiling kindly as Anakin glowered at him."I DO hope you don't mind testifying before the Special Committee I've appointed to look into the Neimoidians' possible involvement in a slaving ring."

"Why me?" Anakin demanded, leaning forward and taking the remaining coffee."I'm just a lowly Knight.You could get a Jedi Master… Master Windu, Master Jade…" Palpatine thought for a moment.

"Hmm, how shall I put this?I trust that you would not be uncomfortable omitting certain unpleasant facts that are not really relevant to the situation at hand."

"Ahhhh…" Anakin said, understanding."But how do you know that the Neimoidians don't know about those unpleasant facts?"

"I don't," Palpatine admitted.Anakin sighed.

"Well, I'd better take another look at that journal, don't you think?" he asked, standing.

"That probably wouldn't be a bad idea," Palpatine agreed.

"Looks like I have hours of entertaining reading ahead of me," Anakin said, sucking down the rest of his coffee and tossing the cup in the trash.

"Lucky you," Palpatine murmured.Anakin snorted.

"Yeah, there's nothing like the ravings of a Sith Lord to get your day started right," Anakin agreed."So, uh, you're sure you don't want to read your late brother's masterpiece?"

"Quite sure, thank you."Palpatine said."I'll wait for the Cliff's Notes version."

"Man, you don't know what you're missing out on, Palpster," Anakin told him.

"I can imagine."

"No you can't," Anakin assured him."Your imagination isn't that good."

The coup had happened quickly and quietly; the Queen had never seen it coming.She stood in her throne room, gazing down at the city of Theed, wondering what would happen next.The door slid open.

"Come along, Your Majesty," the black-clad invader said menacingly.He grabbed her arm to drag her away, but he had underestimated his quarry.The Queen lashed out, giving him a vicious kick to the groin.He doubled over, groaning.She brought her fist down on the back of his neck, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.She motioned to her handmaidens, who were cowering together behind the throne.

"Hurry!We must leave before…" Another man appeared in the doorway. He wore a black mask that obscured his features, and he carried an evil looking laser rifle.The Queen's eyes widened in surprise."GO!" she yelled to her handmaidens.The young women darted out from behind the throne.The man in the doorway raised his blaster, taking aim at the Queen.

"No!" one of the handmaidens said, stopping.

"Come on!" Rabé said, dragging her along."We must leave this place, Padmé!"The man in the doorway suddenly swung his laser rifle around, took aim at Padmé, and pulled the trigger.The blue bolt hit her directly in the center of her chest.She crumpled to the floor without a sound.The Queen ran over to her fallen handmaiden.

"Oh my gods!" the Queen sobbed, falling to her knees beside the motionless body."Oh my gods, oh my gods…"

"What a fiasco," Captain Panaka said, pulling off his black mask and throwing the laser rifle on the floor."I wouldn't trust you ladies to get a goldfish out of this Palace without injury."Padmé groaned and rubbed her head, trying to sit up.

"Is that what you call a light stun, Captain?" she asked faintly, her head still spinning.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he apologized, bowing."Next time I will use a lower setting."

"Please see that you do," she murmured, allowing Yané and Rabé to help her to her feet.Eirtaé was still sitting on the floor, crying.

"I failed," she sobbed, her tears making flesh-colored trails in her elaborate white make-up."I failed, and you died because of it." 

"You only need more practice, Eirtaé," the real Queen assured her.The handmaiden shook her head.

"No," she said."I'm not cut out for this, Your Majesty.All the emergency drills in the world will not change the fact that I am not Sabé."Padmé and Panaka exchanged a look.

"Think you that Sabé never failed in a drill?" Padmé asked.Eirtaé shook her head.

"She did not fail when it was important," the handmaiden said.

"And neither will you, I am sure of it," Padmé told her.Eirtaé gave her a watery smile.Padmé looked down at her chief handmaiden, who sat on the cold marble floor in her elaborate gown, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand and smearing her make-up all over the place."Your main problem is that you lack confidence."Panaka gave Eirtaé an appraising look, and then shook his head, pulling the Queen aside.

"I do not believe she has what it takes to be the Royal Bodyguard," he told her quietly."I wish to begin training Rabé to take over her role."Padmé sighed.

"You must do what you think is best, Captain," she told him."But I beg of you, break it to her gently.Don't make her feel any worse than you must."

"Of course, Your Majesty," he agreed, bowing.She glanced over at Eirtaé, who was still sitting in a heap on the floor, surrounded by the other handmaidens, who were murmuring quiet reassurances.Sighing, Padmé walked out of the throne room and headed to her private apartments, wishing for the millionth time that Sabé had not left her service._Ah, how selfish I am,_ she thought, entering her bedroom and beginning to pull her hair out of its elaborate style._I am glad she has found so much happiness, even if her new life does take her far away from my court._

"You should have told me you have the Force, old boy.Would have made this conversation a damn sight easier, I can tell you," Valorum said.Palpatine shrugged."Anyway," Valorum continued, setting his teacup on the coffee table and settling himself more comfortably on the red sofa in Palpatine's living room. "I wanted to warn you to be careful of the Neimoidians.They're up to no good."Palpatine snorted.

"That's not exactly news, Valorum," he replied.

"Look, they're plotting to have you assassinated!"

"What??"

"They're going to punch your ticket, old bean.Snuff your candle.Clean your clock.Pull your – "

"Yes, yes," Palpatine said impatiently, waving his hand."I've got the idea."

"Well, I thought you'd like to know," Valorum told him.

"How?" Palpatine asked, thoroughly rattled.Valorum shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"I've got a Special Committee investigating them," Palpatine said, as though reminding himself.

"They don't care about your Committee, Palpatine.They have bigger fish to fry, and when they're done, they will not have to answer to any Committee.At least, that is what they are counting on."

"What are you talking about, Valorum?" Palpatine asked, frowning.Valorum waved a finger at him.

"They're plotting something big.I can't tell you any more than that, old fellow."

"Why not?" Palpatine asked.

"Sorry, not allowed," Valorum said briskly.

"Now allowed?" Palpatine echoed, incredulous."According to whom?"Valorum smiled faintly.

"Not quite sure, old thing. Not quite sure."

"You're not making any sense!" Palpatine exclaimed."And how do you know all these things, anyway?"Valorum shrugged.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, but I'm afraid I can't tell you any more."

"Wait a minute," Palpatine said, suddenly truly focusing on his friend."Why are you sitting in my living room wearing nothing but your underwear?"

"It's what I'm wearing," Valorum replied cryptically.

"Well of course it's what you're wearing!" Palpatine said crossly."But why are you wearing it in my living room?"

"Because that's what I've got on, old thing," Valorum replied tranquilly.

"Yes, I realize that.But why on Naboo haven't you got proper clothes on?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, Palpatine, don't be so dense!"Palpatine was beginning to feel like he'd fallen down the rabbit hole.

"I promise you that I am not being deliberately dense, Valorum.I simply don't understand."Valorum sighed.

"Look, it's like this – "

"Palpatine!" Sabé said."Palpatine, wake up!"Palpatine opened his eyes and blinked.He was sitting in his favorite chair in his living room.The sun was just beginning to rise over the city of Coruscant, casting a rosy glow over the buildings and traffic of the capital.Sabé stood before him, a robe pulled over her nightgown and concern written all over her face.A thought entered Palpatine's mind, and he jumped to his feet, suddenly fully awake.

"Are you having the babies?" he asked, a note of panic in his voice.Sabé smiled and patted her hugely pregnant belly.

"No sweetheart, I'm not having the babies," she assured him."The alarm woke me up and I was alone in bed.I wondered where you'd gotten to."

"I must have been sleepwalking," he said offhandedly, as though it were an everyday occurrence.She frowned."Don't worry, darling," he said quickly."I'm perfectly fine."He took her in his arms and kissed her.

"Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously.The Naboo considered sleepwalking an ill omen at best.Palpatine sighed.

"Yes darling, I'm sure.You mustn't worry so much."He thought for a moment."If you must know, I was having a rather strange dream about Valorum.He was sitting right there on the sofa, having a cup of tea in his underwear."Sabé laughed.

"I'm not sure what worries me more, the sleepwalking or that you're dreaming about Valorum in his underwear!" 

"Well," Palpatine said, laughing with her, "the sight of Valorum in his underwear was more like a nightmare than a dream, I can assure you!"

"Belated congratulations on your election, Chancellor," a familiar male voice said.

"Thank you," Palpatine said distractedly, trying unsuccessfully to juggle his attaché case, a brimming cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and the key card to his office.

"You must be careful of the Neimoidians," the voice continued.

"Yes, yes, I've already had that warning today," he replied distantly as he finally managed to slide the key card into the lock.The door slid open and he stepped into reception area of his office.

"They are not finished with you yet, Chancellor," the voice said.Irritated, Palpatine turned to see who was speaking to him, and nearly dropped his coffee and attaché case in astonishment.

"My gods," Palpatine said faintly."It's you."

"Yes, it's me," the shimmering, translucent apparition of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn said, smiling."Are you really all that surprised?"After a moment, Palpatine found his voice.

"Well, yes, I am a bit.You ARE dead, after all."The apparition shrugged.

"Death is not an end, Chancellor.It is merely a transformation," Qui-Gon replied in the tone of a teacher instructing a student.

"All right," Palpatine said heavily."Tell me what the Neimoidians are up to."Suddenly, he jumped in surprise at the sound of a new voice.

"Who are you talking to, sir?" Sara asked, walking into the reception area from her office and looking around, puzzled.

"I was just talking to – " He turned back to where Qui-Gon's ghost had been standing, but there was only empty air.He blinked."Myself," he finished lamely.

"Oh," she said.Her tone changed."I need to speak with you, Chancellor," she said quietly.

"Hmm," he replied, fumbling with his key card again.

"I'm afraid it's bad news, sir," she told him.Palpatine sighed.

"You'd better come in and sit down, then."He unlocked his office and she followed him inside.He went to sit at his desk and switched on the computer.As he waited for it to boot up, he sipped his hot coffee appreciatively.

"It's about your friend Valorum," Sara began, sitting in her usual chair across from his desk.He looked up, giving her his undivided attention.

"Yes?" he asked.He had a sinking feeling that he knew what she was going to say.

"I'm afraid he's passed away," she told him quietly."It was sometime last night - a heart attack, they think.They said he didn't suffer."

"In his sleep," Palpatine murmured.Sara gave him an odd look.

"Yes, they think so," she agreed.

"Ah gods," he said as the concept finally sunk in: One of his oldest friends was dead.He closed his eyes.Throwing protocol and the fear of overstepping to the wind, Sara reached across the desk and took his hand.

"Hey," she said quietly."Are you going to be OK?"Eyes still closed, he nodded."Is there anything you want me to do?"He thought for a moment, opened his eyes and pulled his hand out of hers.

"Send my official condolences to his family and to the people of Chandrila. I suppose you'd better send flowers or something, I don't know what their customs are.I'm sure you can find out.Also, please make whatever apologies are necessary for my missing his funeral.My wife shouldn't travel now, and I don't want to leave her alone when her time is so close."Sara nodded.

"Every time I start feeling sorry for myself, I think about how big your wife must be by now," Sara told Palpatine."I am only having one child, and look how huge I am!" she exclaimed, patting her belly.

"I'm sure you'll both be happier when it's over," he agreed, smiling slightly.

"Whazzzup!" Palpatine looked up to see Anakin standing in the doorway.Their informal moment broken, Sara took Anakin's arrival as her cue to leave. 

"I'll see to everything, sir," she assured Palpatine, standing to leave as Anakin walked into the office.

"Yes, thank you Sara," Palpatine replied as she left, the door sliding shut behind her.Anakin sat in the chair she had just vacated and gave Palpatine an appraising look.

"How're you doing there, Palpster?" Anakin asked, frowning."You don't look too good."

"I have had a rather trying morning," Palpatine told him.

"Oh yeah?What's been going on?" Anakin asked, leaning forward in his seat and looking concerned.

"I…" Palpatine began, not knowing how to continue._I see dead people,_ he thought suddenly, biting his lip to suppress an inappropriate burst of laughter."Valorum has died," he finally said.

"Aw, man…how?"

"I don't know, heart attack they think," Palpatine replied.

"That sucks," Anakin said.Palpatine nodded slowly.

"Yes.Yes it does," he agreed.They were silent for a moment.

"Padmé is on her way here," Anakin said after a while."She left the other night.She said she wanted to be here for Sabé when she has the twins."

"She's cutting it awfully close, isn't she?" Palpatine asked.

"Yeah, well, Panaka had her tied up with some security drills, and she couldn't get away until then.But she'll be here by tonight, hopefully."

"You know, Anakin, I've been thinking," Palpatine said slowly.

"Uh oh," Anakin joked.Palpatine smiled thinly.

"I think the Republic should have an army of some sort."

"An army?" Anakin repeated, sounding dubious."What for?"

"Well, not every planet has a standing army," Palpatine replied, thinking of Naboo in particular."When a crisis arises, such planets have no protection.A handful of security volunteers cannot fight a full scale war in protection of a planet, you know."

"Yeah, but how many planets don't have standing armies?" Anakin asked reasonably.

"Naboo for one," Palpatine replied."And Alderaan."

"Well, that's two," Anakin said sardonically.Palpatine made a face.

"Yes, well I am sure there are more, but I cannot think of them off the top of my head."

"Republic planets don't need armies," Anakin said with a shrug."Ever since your election as Chancellor, things have been pretty quiet.I think people saw how you dealt with the Neimoidians and the general corruption in the Senate and decided that they'd better cool it with the shenanigans while you're in charge."

"I am only one man, Anakin.I cannot be everywhere at once." Palpatine said, only half-joking.

"Right," Anakin said, nodding."That's why the gods created Jedi Knights."

"Be serious, Anakin.Certainly, the Jedi are powerful and respected, but they cannot fight a war… or perhaps I should say that they WOULD not fight a war.I don't think I need to remind you of what happened on Tatooine."Anakin made a face.

"You sure don't," he agreed, feeling a surge of anger at the Jedi Council for ignoring the gang wars on Tatooine until it was too late; too late for his mother and too late for thousands of other innocents."So, uh, what prompted this army fixation of yours?"Palpatine shrugged.

"I have been warned by a couple of people that the Neimoidians are plotting something big," he confided.

"Big?Like what?"

"I don't know, Anakin.My sources wouldn't – or couldn't – tell me.I…. well, I have a feeling."

"It's probably the Force," Anakin told him sagely."It speaks to you, Palpatine.But you were never trained to listen."

"When I was a child," Palpatine said slowly, "the other children called me Freak.I saw things they couldn't.I often knew what others were thinking.Sometimes I knew a thing would happen before it did.It took me a long time to learn how to make those things stop happening, how to close off that secret world that no one else could see and be 'normal'."Anakin nodded, all joking and teasing forgotten.

"You knew how to listen to the Force when you were a child," he said."It's almost instinctive for Force-gifted children, and you are extraordinarily gifted.What really surprises me is that you succeeded in shutting it off like that."Palpatine shrugged.

"It was either that or go mad," he said quietly."But, as I've gotten older, I've found that it often sneaks up on me.And since my brother's death, it's gotten more and more difficult to, as you said, 'shut it off'."

"OK," Anakin said, nodding."So you have a feeling that the Neimoidians are plotting something.Well, I'd say you're probably right.I hope we can discover what it is before they get a chance to put their plan into action."

"So do I hope it," Palpatine agreed fervently.Suddenly, Anakin stiffened in his chair."What is it?" Palpatine asked.Anakin motioned for silence, his head cocked as though listening to a voice only he could hear.

"Uh oh," Anakin whispered.He leaped out of his chair, clearing the desk and landing virtually in Palpatine's lap.

"What the – " Palpatine exclaimed in surprise.Anakin grabbed him and shoved him under the desk, ignoring the sound of Palpatine's head cracking against the desk and the muffled Nubian curses that followed.

"Stay down," Anakin hissed, drawing and igniting his lightsaber at nearly the same moment an energy bolt shattered the transparasteel window behind Palpatine's desk.Anakin deflected a second bolt with his lightsaber, frantically searching the skies for their source.He spotted a small landing pad attached to an adjacent building; hovering underneath was a small, unmarked air car.The unknown assailant continued to fire on him as he flung off his brown outer cloak and moved closer to the ruined window, his boots crunching on melted transparasteel fragments.He deflected the energy bolts easily, all the while calculating the approximate distance between the office and the landing platform."Stay under that desk until I get back," Anakin ordered Palpatine, who remained silent."Did you hear me?" Anakin asked.Receiving no acknowledgement, he could only hope for the best.He took a deep breath, deactivated his lightsaber, and leaped out the window, somersaulting through the air to land on his feet on the hood of the air car.He ignited his lightsaber and sliced through the tinted windscreen.As he did so, he got a sense of the air car's occupants._They don't feel like people,_ Anakin thought._They feel… unreal._Anakin caught a glimpse of a man's face through the ruined windscreen, and with it a glimpse of the mind behind it._Oh my gods, he's insane,_ Anakin thought wildly.Grinning maliciously, the driver put the car's throttle down.Anakin had only seconds to leap up and grab the bottom of the landing platform above before the car executed a rolling dive into the morning rush hour traffic of Coruscant.Flipping his body up so that he stood on the landing platform, Anakin tried in vain to follow the car's progress, but the small vehicle was soon lost in the bustle of commuters that clogged the airways of Coruscant.Sighing, Anakin walked across the platform to look for a way into the building to which it was attached.

When Anakin reached the Supreme Chancellor's office, he found Palpatine sitting on the edge of his desk, a bloody handkerchief pressed to the top of his head and a slightly dazed look on his face.

"Oh geeze, Palpatine," he said, hurrying over."Are you OK?"

"You nearly killed him while saving his life," Sara said, walking in from the reception area.

"Hey, I had to improvise," Anakin said defensively.Sara walked over to Palpatine and took the handkerchief out of his hand, parting his hair to stare critically at his injured head.

"I'll be fine, Sara," he murmured."It's only a small bump on the head.Luckily, I have very little in there to begin with."

"You should go to the hospital," she told him, her concern not at all lessened by his self-depreciating humor.

"There's no time, Sara," he said quietly.He ran a hand through his hair, a small patch now stiffening with a maroon stain."The Neimoidians will be landing their army of clones on Corellia soon, and we must be ready," he said distantly.He suddenly became aware that Anakin and Sara were staring at him in shock."What?" he asked, somewhat defensively.

"What did you just say, sir?" Sara asked.

"I said – " Palpatine began.Realizing what he'd been about to repeat, his eyes widened in surprise."My gods," he whispered.

"The Force is with you," Anakin said quietly, suddenly understanding why the would-be assassins in the air car had felt 'unreal'."We should go to the Jedi Council.Maybe this time they will do something before it's too late."

FINIS. 

(For now… stay tuned for Part 11, coming at some time in the future, hopefully soon!)

   [1]: http://www.dunkindonuts.com/



	5. Chapter 11

# 

# "The Naboo Chronicles: Part 11"

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: GL owns _SW._I own this story.Neither of us is making any money from the other.So there.

"We should probably get out of here," Anakin said, gesturing to indicate Palpatine's office, which was littered with debris from the shattered window.

"It does seem to be getting a bit chilly in here," Palpatine murmured, touching the top of his head and wincing in pain.He looked at his fingers."Well, at least I'm not bleeding any more."

"I still think you should go to the hospital, sir," Sara told him.Palpatine shook his head. 

"No," he said, rising to his feet and swaying a bit unsteadily."I think I'd better speak to Senator Bel Iblis."Sara gave him a disapproving look.

"Shall I have a couple of Senate Pages meet you in his office with a stretcher in case you fall over unconscious?" she asked.

"Very funny," Palpatine replied, striding out of his office, Anakin close behind.

"Mind if I tag along?" Anakin asked, lengthening his stride to keep up with Palpatine._Damn, I've never seen him move this fast, _he thought as they hurried through the busy corridors of the Senate building.

"Not at all," Palpatine replied."In fact, I was hoping you would.I will need all the help I can get convincing the senator that this threat is real.I am afraid that he does not like me very much."

"No way!" Anakin exclaimed in mock surprise."I thought EVERYONE likes YOU, Palpatine." 

"Oh yes, I am Mister Popularity in the Senate," Palpatine agreed caustically."You cannot imagine how thrilled everyone was when I took over and decided to sit down and figure out where several rather large budget surpluses were actually going."

"Yeah, I bet.So was this guy we're going to see now one of the ones lining his pockets with taxpayer money?" Anakin asked.Palpatine shook his head.

"No, Senator Bel Ibis wasn't – isn't – corrupt."

"So why doesn't he like you?"

"He is Corellian, Anakin.You know how Corellians feel about authority figures of any sort.I believe he dislikes me on general principles.Ah, here we are," he said, entering an office with Anakin right behind.He stopped in front of a reception desk where a young intern sat, engrossed in a book."Good morning," Palpatine said politely.The intern glanced up at him.

"Chancellor Palpatine!" she exclaimed in surprise, jumping to her feet, her eyes wide with astonishment."I… we… this is so unexpected…" she continued uncertainly, glancing between Palpatine and Anakin.Palpatine gave her a warm smile.

"Is the senator in this morning?" he asked.

"I… well, yeah, but he's… well I mean I guess… oh gosh…" she stammered."Uh… follow me?"

"That's quite all right," Palpatine told her, patting her shoulder as he breezed past her desk."We'll find our own way, thanks."

"Nice meeting you," Anakin told her casually, giving her a slight wave as he passed.He followed Palpatine into an office, where the senator sat behind his desk, staring at his computer screen and muttering under his breath.

"Good morning, Senator," Palpatine said cheerfully.

"What do you want?" Bel Ibis demanded, not looking up from his computer screen.

"Allow me to introduce my associate, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker."Bel Ibis's head snapped up.

"Skywalker?"

"That's me, Senator," Anakin said, stepping forward to shake Bel Ibis's hand.

"Have a seat," the senator said rather ungraciously, motioning at the chairs opposite his desk.

"There is very little time to spare, so we'll get right to the point," Palpatine said as he sat."Your homeworld is in grave danger."

"It is so good to see you again," Sabé said, embracing Padmé.

"Look at you," Padmé said, stepping back and regarding her friend in amazement."You're absolutely huge!"

"Ha!You should talk.Think you that you were any slimmer when you were pregnant with your twins?"

"I suppose not," Padmé agreed, linking her arm with Sabé's as they strolled off the landing platform towards the waiting hovercar."And," she said as they climbed inside, "I have been thinking about having another child."

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Padmé said.The hovercar moved slightly as one of the blue-robed Chancellor's guards loaded the Queen's trunks into the back.

"Have you mentioned this to Anakin?" Sabé asked.Padmé shook her head.

"No, not yet.I think I will wait until after your twins are born.I've no doubt he will be easier to convince once he sees your little ones and recalls how wonderful babies are."

"Oh you are sly," Sabé said.Padmé giggled."Still, I do not think you will have a difficult time convincing him.He can deny you nothing, you know."She put her hand on her enormous abdomen."I am not yet sure – " Her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Padmé asked, concerned.

"My goodness," Sabé said.

"So let me get this straight," Bel Ibis said sarcastically, glaring at Palpatine."You're telling me some unknown enemy is getting ready to invade Corellia?"

"Yes, Senator," Palpatine agreed."That's exactly what we're telling you."

"That's ridiculous," the senator scoffed."Where did you get this information?"Palpatine and Anakin exchanged a glance.

"There has been a warning through the Force," Anakin finally said, shooting a look at Palpatine, who shrugged.The senator eyed them suspiciously.Clearly he was not hearing the whole story.Before he could voice his doubts, Anakin spoke again."Do you doubt the word of a Jedi?" he demanded.Slowly, the senator shook his head.

"I don't doubt you, Jedi Skywalker," Bel Ibis said, sounding almost civil for the first time."I'm a bit puzzled, though.Whose army is it?Why Corellia?"Palpatine leaned forward to speak, but Anakin cut him off.

"Never mind that," he said, waving his hand very slightly."Right now you have to warn your government about the impending invasion so they can get their defenses together."He backed up this advice with the very slightest Force push.

"All right," the senator agreed, nodding."I'll contact my government.But you two had better be right about this.I don't want to look like an idiot."

"You are going to save your homeworld and your people from certain destruction," Palpatine said soothingly.

"Yeah," Anakin agreed."If nothing else, it'll look good around re-election time."Bel Ibis made a face.

"All right, let's get this ball rolling," he said, rising."What are you two going to do?"

"I'm going to the Jedi Council," Anakin said as he rose.

"I suppose I will have to call a special session of the Senate," Palpatine said, sounding tired."Everyone should know of this threat.Corellia may be only the first planet on their list."Suddenly, Bel Ibis's intern came barging in, followed by Sara, who was quite out of breath.

"Sorry to interrupt," the intern said."But she insisted."

"I take full responsibility," Sara said breathlessly.

"Good," the intern said as she left. 

"Queen Amidala called, sir," Sara said, addressing Palpatine."She's with your wife."

"Padmé's here?" Anakin asked."I didn't even know she'd arrived."

"She just got here," Sara said.She turned her attention back to Palpatine."Lady Sabé went to the landing platform to greet the Queen, and well… it appears that your wife has gone into labor in the car on the way back to your apartment."Palpatine jumped to his feet.

"What?" he asked, sounding panicked.

"The Queen is accompanying her to the hospital as we speak," Sara told him. 

"Want me to drive you to the hospital, Palpatine?" Anakin asked.

"I…the Senate… Corellia…" Palpatine stammered.For the first time, Bel Ibis smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it, Chancellor," he said, his whole attitude changing."You're wife's having a baby.You go take care of that, and I'll take care of the rest.I'm just going to sit down here and call home, and then I'll address the Senate.OK?"Palpatine glanced at Sara.

"I'll keep an eye on things, sir," she murmured.He nodded.

"All right," Palpatine agreed.

"I'll call the special session for you, Senator," Sara told Bel Ibis.

"Great," the senator said.

"Hospital," Palpatine muttered.

"Don't worry, sir," Sara said, patting his arm reassuringly."She'll be fine.Women give birth every day, you know."

"Yes, but not to MY children!" Palpatine exclaimed.

"Well, I should hope not, Chancellor!" Sara said teasingly.Bel Ibis and Anakin laughed.Palpatine managed a slight, rather unconvincing smile.

"C'mon, Palpster," Anakin said, grabbing Palpatine's arm and steering him out of Bel Ibis's office."I'll drive you to the hospital."

"I can drive," Palpatine protested.

"I doubt that," Anakin said.He glanced over his shoulder at Bel Ibis."See ya!" he called.The senator was busy punching a code into a holophone.He waved distractedly.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Anakin," Palpatine worried.

"About what?" Anakin asked.

"About everything!" Palpatine said, waving his hand expansively.Sighing, Anakin put a friendly arm around Palpatine's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Palpatine.It'll all work out somehow."

Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi knelt on the cold marble floor of the Jedi Council chamber.His eyes were closed, and his mind was completely free of turmoil, doubt, or fear.

"Jedi Kenobi," Yoda intoned solemnly."Tested you have been.Conferred the Council has."The Jedi Master noted with satisfaction that not a glimmer of emotion crossed Obi-Wan's face.He continued."Bestow upon you the rank of Jedi Master this Council does!"Obi-Wan exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding until that moment."Dismissed you are, Master Kenobi.Difficult your trials were.Rest now you must."Obi-Wan stood, his head still respectfully bowed.

"I thank you, Master Yoda, for teaching me so well."One by one, he bowed to the members of the Council before taking his leave.Yoda watched him go, an enigmatic expression on his face.

"Well you should rest now," he said quietly."A long time it may be before another chance you will have."

The first person Obi-Wan encountered upon leaving the Jedi Council chamber was Anakin, who was loitering in the hallway outside, clutching an aromatic bag of microwave popcorn.

"I see you've been to the vending machines," Obi-Wan observed.

"Yep," Anakin replied, tossing a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth."So, how did it go?"Obi-Wan reached into the bag and helped himself.

"You are looking at the Temple's newest Jedi Master," he replied, chewing.Anakin's face broke into a huge grin.

"Who is THE MAN!?" Anakin yelled rhetorically, giving his former teacher a resounding high five."You are THE MAN!"Obi-Wan grinned and shoved more popcorn into his mouth."So what exciting assignment has the Council given our newest Jedi Master?"Obi-Wan snorted.

"Master Yoda told me to get some rest."

"Yeah, well, wait 'til you hear what I have to tell you," Anakin said, walking with Obi-Wan."I was going to tell the Council, but I think I'll run it by you first.After all, you ARE a Jedi Master now, so I can do that."Obi-Wan's brow furrowed.

"Careful, Anakin," he chided."You already play rather fast and loose with the rules around here."Anakin shrugged.

"Remember what happened LAST time I tried playing by the rules?"

"You have a point there," Obi-Wan conceded.They had reached the door to his quarters."Well, you'd better come in and tell me about it."

"OK, Lady Palpatine, one more push and the first one will be completely out."Sabé gripped Padmé's hand so hard that the Queen feared her fingers would break.Palpatine stood on Sabé's other side, holding her other hand and murmuring encouragement, trying hard not to look at what was happening at the other end of the table.

"Aaaaaaaaaa!" Sabé screamed as the contraction hit and her first child came into the world. The baby immediately began screaming with displeasure at being forced out of its warm little home.

"It's a girl, Lady!" the doctor exclaimed, holding up a surgical scissors."Chancellor, would you like to cut the cord?"

"I…" he said, pressing a hand to his mouth."I don't…" A nurse passed the instrument to the reluctant Chancellor and urged him forward.

"My goodness," he said, turning pale."There's so much blood…"

"That's normal, Chancellor," the doctor soothed.

"Oh my gods," Sabé gasped as a new contraction started.

"Second one's coming," the doctor announced unnecessarily.He turned his attention back to Palpatine."Go ahead," he told Palpatine, indicating the place on the cord where he should cut.Carefully, Palpatine closed the surgical scissors, severing the connection between his wife and his child with a crunching sound that made his stomach turn over.A nurse whisked the squalling newborn away for examination.

"Are you all right, Palpatine?" Padmé asked.He nodded wordlessly and resumed his post next to Sabé.

"You're doing great," the doctor told Sabé."Just a couple more pushes and it'll all be over."

"That is easy for you to say," Sabé said from between gritted teeth.

"I understand how you feel, Lady Palpatine," the doctor sympathized just as the next contraction hit.

"Ahhh!" Sabé gasped.When the contraction had passed, she pulled herself somewhat upright, glaring murderously at the doctor."First, you have no idea what this is like," she spat."No man does.Perhaps if I were to grab your private parts and hold them up over your head for a few hours, you'd have some small idea.Second, my name is Sabé.There is no such person as 'Lady Palpatine', unless my husband has undergone an operation that I don't know about."Padmé giggled.Sabé lay back down, but continued to upbraid the doctor between contractions."Third, your bedside manner is appalling and your people skills are nonexistent.You cannot even get your patient's name right.It is a shame that you work in a field that demands that you interact with people on a regular basis."

"Lady Sabé?" the doctor interrupted timorously.

"Yes?" she gasped as a contraction passed." 

"Your second child is here.It's a boy."

Later that day, two very tired Jedi Knights met a very tired Queen of the Naboo in the hospital lobby.

"I see you two found the gift shop," Padmé observed, noting the two plush teddy bears Obi-Wan carried, and the small bouquet of pink roses that Anakin was clutching.

"Yeah.How is Sabé?" Obi-Wan asked.Padmé smiled.

"Tired, but very happy," she replied.

"And you?" Anakin asked, taking her in his arms and kissing her.

"The same," she said, taking his arm as they moved towards the elevators."Wait until you see the babies, Anakin."

"I for one cannot wait to see them," Obi-Wan said, exchanging a meaningful glance with Anakin.Padmé's eyes narrowed.

"They're adorable," she informed them.

"So they look like Sabé, huh?" Anakin asked, grinning."They got off lucky!"Padmé laughed.

"They will be sending Sabé and the babies home tomorrow," Padmé said as they boarded the elevator.

"So soon?" Obi-Wan wondered.Anakin snorted.

"Damn HMOs," he muttered.The elevator doors opened, and the two Knights followed Padmé up the corridor.She stopped at Sabé's door, knocking softly.

"Come in," Sabé called quietly.She was sitting up in bed, holding one of her babies.Palpatine sat in a chair next to her bed, holding the other.Grinning, Obi-Wan stepped forward and presented her with one of the stuffed animals. "Oh," Sabé crooned to the baby she held, "Look what Uncle Obi-Wan has brought you!"She held the toy so the baby could see it.

"These are for you," Anakin said, holding up the flowers in their slightly crumpled wrapping.Sabé beamed up at him as he bent to kiss her.

"How lovely, Anakin.Thank you."She glanced around."I think there is a vase around here somewhere."Padmé took the flowers from her husband and began looking for the vase.

"Have you decided on names yet?" Anakin asked, taking a seat near Sabé's bed.Palpatine exchanged a glance with his wife.

"Yes we have, actually," Palpatine answered.He watched for a moment as Padmé arranged the flowers in the plastic, hospital-issue vase she'd found in the nightstand by the bed."We've had awhile to think about it, you know."Smiling, Sabé tilted the baby she held so that its face was visible to the visitors.

"Meet little Padmé," she said.

"Oh Sabé," Padmé said, her eyes filling with tears.She sniffled, laughing a bit as she wiped her eyes."I don't know what to say."

"Say hello to little Anakin," Palpatine suggested, indicating the sleeping baby he held.Anakin's mouth fell open in astonishment.

"Anakin isn't a Nubian name," he said, shocked by this unprecedented break with tradition. 

"It is now," Palpatine said quietly, smiling.Anakin glanced away, rubbing at his eyes.

"Gosh, now I'm the one who's going all mushy on you," he finally said, laughing.Palpatine glanced up at Obi-Wan.

"Well?" he asked without preamble.Obi-Wan smiled.

"Yes," he replied cryptically.Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan and nodded.

"Yeah, I think so too," he agreed, recalling how Palpatine had expressed the desire for his children to be trained as Jedi if they too had the Force.

"What are you talking about?" Sabé asked.The two Knights glanced at Palpatine, who was suddenly completely fascinated by the sleeping baby he held.Sabé's eyes narrowed suspiciously."What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Nothing, darling," Palpatine assured her, which only served to make her even more suspicious."We will discuss it later."

"You bet we will," she agreed acidly.

"Well, looks like she's getting back to normal," Anakin observed.Palpatine laughed.

"I am sorry to interrupt," a new voice apologized.They all looked over to see Sara standing in the doorway.

"What is it, Sara?" Palpatine asked.

"I need to speak with you, sir."

"All right," Palpatine agreed, standing."Padmé, would you mind…?"

"Not at all," she said warmly, taking little Anakin from him.The transfer woke the newborn.As Padmé settled him in her arms, he made a little snuffling sound."Look at you," Padmé murmured to him as she sat down in the chair recently vacated by Palpatine."You're just adorable, aren't you?"The infant gazed up at her silently with large, serious deep blue eyes.

"Chancellor?" Sara prompted.

"Yes, right, coming," he said, motioning for the two Jedi to follow."What is it?" he asked as the door shut behind them.Sara sighed.

"Corellia is no longer in danger," she said.

"Well, that's a relief," Palpatine said.

"Yes, but there is more.The Corellians captured many of the invaders and have confirmed that the Neimoidians are behind both the cloning and the invasion.Well, the Neimoidians are not very happy.During the special session, Lot Dodd felt compelled to share with the Senate his knowledge of your Sith Lord brother, and he even suggested that you conspired with him to get yourself elected Chancellor.The Senate is in an uproar.They are calling for a vote of no confidence in your leadership."Palpatine sighed.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Who's calling for this vote?" Anakin asked.

"The usual suspects," Sara told him, shrugging."The ones who are still upset about the Chancellor's investigation of the rampant corruption in the Senate, the ones who just don't like him for whatever reason, and the ones who have nothing against him, but simply want the position for themselves."

"Sounds like Obi-Wan and I need to address the Senate," Anakin said."We've read Sidious's diary, and we can testify that Palpatine had no knowledge of what that guy was up to, and wasn't involved in any way."

"I need to go back to the Senate," Palpatine murmured.

"Oh no, sir," Sara said."You should stay here with your wife."Palpatine shook his head.

"My wife and children will survive without me, but the Republic as we know it may not.I care not about the office of Chancellor.My concern is that the Neimoidians are directing attention away from their own actions, and I do not want to allow them to get away with it.Not this time.This time they will be made to answer in full for their illegal invasion of a Republic planet!"

TO BE CONTINUED….


	6. Chapter 12

"The Naboo Chronicles: Part 12" 

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: George Lucas owns _Star Wars_ and the _SW_ characters. I just play with them when he's not watching. And I don't make any money from it, either.   
  


"This is a hospital," Obi-Wan called out from the hospital's main entrance. "You cannot stand in front of it blocking traffic." The reporters who were waiting to ambush the beleaguered Chancellor ignored him, eagerly surging forward as Palpatine appeared behind the Jedi Master. Anakin stood behind Palpatine, his dark glower failing to discourage the crowd of journalists who immediately began shouting questions.   
"Chancellor Palpatine, are you afraid of being voted out of office?" Palpatine shook his head imperceptibly as he followed Obi-Wan through the crowd.   
"How's your wife taking all this, Chancellor?" Palpatine followed Obi-Wan, his head down, concentrating on watching the hem of Obi-Wan's brown cloak as the Jedi Master cleared a path through the crowd and flashbulbs went off all around them.   
"Palpatine! Look over here!" Palpatine kept his head down, overcome by a sudden desire to behave contrarily by depriving the journalists of any usable holopics of his exit from the hospital.   
"How did all these reporters get here so quickly?" Palpatine muttered under his breath as Obi-Wan led him through the crowd of reporters.   
"Beats me," Anakin replied.   
"Are you going to retire from politics if you're voted out, Chancellor?" another reporter called out.   
"Palpatine, do you think Sabé will divorce you if you lose your position?"   
"Don't you vultures have anything better to do?" Anakin shouted at the reporter, who immediately switched his focus to the young Jedi.   
"Jedi Skywalker, how does it feel to be friends with a Sith collaborator?" Smiling pleasantly, Anakin cheerfully suggested that the reporter go perform a physically impossible act of masturbation.   
"Don't, Anakin," Palpatine advised quietly. "They want to get a reaction, and you're obliging them nicely."   
"We're almost there," Obi-Wan said, indicating the waiting air car hovering just ahead. He hurried forward and opened the door for the other two.   
"Thank the gods," Palpatine muttered as he slid into the back seat of the air car. "I don't think I've ever been happier to see an air car in my life."   
"I don't know how you stand it, Palpatine." Anakin said as he climbed into the car after the Chancellor. "Being followed around by a pack of paid stalkers would drive me nuts."   
"Short drive," Obi-Wan said as he hurriedly clambered in beside Anakin, pulling the door shut behind him.   
"Yeah, yeah," Anakin muttered. "Everyone's a comic."   
"Are you two all settled? Belts all buckled and such?" Palpatine asked as he buckled his own safety belt. The two Jedi nodded. "Go," Palpatine instructed the driver, and the air car took off like a shot.   


"You shouldn't stand at the window like that," Sabé advised Padmé from her hospital bed. "One of those reporters will take your picture."   
"Surely not at this distance," Padmé murmured. However, she did withdraw from the window, pulling the curtain shut. "How are you feeling?" she asked her old friend.   
"Tired," Sabé replied, giving Padmé a weak smile.   
"Why don't you get some rest?" Padmé asked. "They won't be bringing the babies back for another feeding for awhile now." Sabé sighed.   
"With all that is happening, how could I rest?"   
"You have a point," Padmé agreed, pulling up a chair next to Sabé's bed. They sat in silence for so long that Padmé thought her friend has fallen asleep despite her protest. Finally, Sabé spoke.   
"Padmé, do you regret sending your children to be trained as Jedi?"   
"No, not at all. Of course, I haven't really sent them away. They are either on Naboo with us or at the Jedi Temple under Anakin's direct supervision. That's quite a bit different from sending one's children for fostering at the Temple."   
"Yes, it is." Sabé agreed. "Do you think..." she paused, seemingly finding it difficult to put her thoughts into words. "Do you think the Jedi Council would agree to a similar arrangement with my children? Assuming they are suitably Force-gifted, of course," she added hastily. Padmé was astonished.   
"I... I don't know," she stammered. "I suppose you would have to ask them." Sabé nodded slowly. "You want them to be trained as Jedi?" Padmé asked, still incredulous.   
"Yes, I do." Sabé said firmly.   
"How do you think Palpatine will take this news?" Sabé shrugged.   
"I do not know, Padmé. But I do not want my children ever to be in a situation like Palpatine and I were in. I want my children to know how to use their abilities to defend themselves if ever they must."   
"There are no more Sith," Padmé assured her friend. "That threat is gone from the Galaxy."   
"You told me that Yoda said your children were born to fight the Darkness," Sabé reminded her. "If the Sith are extinct, how can his prophecy be true?"   
"I don't know, Sabé," Padmé replied, trying to ignore the chill that went down her spine. "Perhaps he was wrong."   


The Senate was in an uproar by the time the Chancellor and the two Jedi arrived. The main "floor" was dominated by the Alderaan and Trade Federation senate boxes, from which Viceroy Bail Organa, the newly elected Alderaan Senator and Senator Lott Dod argued back and forth. When the assembled Senators caught sight of the Chancellor and the two Jedi arriving in the Naboo senate box, the whole room erupted into chaos.   
"Order! I will have order!" Senator Bel Ibis shouted from the Chancellor's podium as Palpatine navigated the Naboo box towards the podium.   
"I got your order," Organa shouted at Ibis. "I got your order RIGHT HERE!"   
"I was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to chair this session. Until his return or the election of a new Chancellor, I am going to do so even if I have to call in some security people to maintain order!" Ibis thundered.   
"Chair THIS!" Organa yelled, giving Ibis a rude gesture.   
"That will be quite enough, Viceroy Organa!" Palpatine called out. The audio field automatically focused on the sound of his voice, amplifying it so that it filled the Senate chambers.   
"Ahhh," Lott Dod breathed with satisfaction, "The Sssssith collaborator hassss found the courage to come before the Sssssenate again."   
"The one who collaborated with the Sith has been here all along," Obi-Wan said accusingly. "You should have no trouble finding him in your mirror, Senator Dod." Obi-Wan held up a book he had produced from the deep pocket of his brown Jedi cloak and raised his voice slightly to be heard over the uneasy murmuring that began to fill the Senate chambers. "And here is the proof."   


"Are you sure that was a good idea, Obi-Wan?" Palpatine asked, nervously pacing around his office. Obi-Wan shrugged.   
"How much worse could things get?" Anakin asked rhetorically, answering for his former teacher. Palpatine gave him a sour look. "Face it, turning your brother's diary over to the Senate can't do you any harm at this point."   
"He's right, you know," Obi-Wan said. "They have the diary, and they have Anakin's and my sworn word as Jedi that as far as we can determine, its contents are completely factual. They will have no choice than to withdraw the call for the vote of no confidence." Palpatine shook his head.   
"It doesn't work that way, Obi-Wan," he said, sinking into the chair behind his desk. "Once the vote is called for, it cannot be withdrawn. They will carry out the vote regardless of whether or not they believe that I conspired with my brother to get myself elected Chancellor. And if the vote goes against me..." His voice trailed off as he swiveled his chair around to face away from them, staring out the newly repaired windows at the air traffic outside.   
"I thought you said you don't care about being Chancellor," Obi-Wan reminded him.   
"I don't," Palpatine replied softly. "And if I am voted out, I will still be the Naboo senator. They cannot take that from me. Only the people of Naboo can do that. Once the contents of my brother's diary becomes public knowledge, the people of Naboo will almost certainly call for a senatorial election and vote me out of office. I will lose everything I've spent all these years working so hard for, and Sabé and I will return to Naboo in disgrace. The aristocracy will strip me of my title and my inheritance, leaving me with nothing to pass on to my children."   
"Come on, Palpatine. You know Padmé wouldn't let that happen," Anakin assured him. "You heard what she said when she found out that you weren't born on Naboo."   
"Padmé will have no say in the matter, Anakin. The monarch has no authority over internal matters within the aristocracy."   
"Well," Anakin said after a moment, "you know Padmé's favorite saying: We will see. I bet she'll find a way to convince them to lay off."   
"Perhaps," Palpatine said, but he sounded unconvinced.   
"I'm telling you man, she won't let them touch you." There was a tap at the door.   
"Yes?" Palpatine called. Sara entered.   
"Senator Ibis called, Sir," she said quietly. "The Senate is ready to vote."   


"I wish I could be there with him," Sabé said softly. She sat in her hospital bed, watching Coruscant News Network's live broadcast of the Senate hearings.   
"It will be well, Sabé," Padmé said, squeezing her friend's hand. "No matter the outcome, you have each other and your two beautiful babies."   
"You are right," Sabé agreed. "It's just that I cannot bear to see Palpatine humiliated so, with all of his dirty laundry being dragged out for the whole Republic to see - it's a crime, that's what it is."   
"He is the one who insisted the outcome of the vote be broadcast live," Padmé reminded her. "And he does not look humiliated to me." She gestured at the holo, which showed Palpatine standing tall and straight in the Naboo senate box, his head held high. The Naboo box hovered in front of the Chancellor's podium, where Senator Bel Ibis stood ready to read the verdict.   
"The honorable members of the Galactic Senate have voted," Ibis intoned solemnly. Sabé exchanged a worried glance with Padmé, who gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. 

_ This is where my entire future is decided,_ Palpatine thought. He felt like his whole existence had been narrowed down to this one moment in time. When Ibis finally read the outcome, he was certain he had heard it incorrectly. It was only when the Naboo box where he stood floated up to the Chancellor's podium that the reality finally sunk in. Senator Bel Ibis bowed as Palpatine stepped out of the Naboo box, looking rather dazed.   
"I return the authority and duties, the rights and responsibilities of the office of Supreme Chancellor of the Republic to you, Palpatine of Naboo," Ibis told him. Standing again in his old place at the Chancellor's podium, Palpatine found his voice at last.   
"Honorable members of the Galactic Senate," Palpatine began. "I thank you for this expression of your belief in my leadership, and I will continue to strive every day to be worthy of it." 

"Oh thank the gods!" Sabé said, tears of joy running down her face as Padmé hugged her. "Perhaps now that the Senate has the full story, the Neimoidians will at last be made to face justice!"   
"I would like nothing better, Sabé." Padmé said quietly. "They have much to answer for."   
"I think this time they will not get away with their plotting," Sabé mused. "Before this voting fiasco began, Palpatine appointed the new Senator from Alderaan to chair the Special Committee he has investigating the Trade Federation."   
"Viceroy Organa?" Padmé asked, surprised. "I would not have thought of choosing him." Sabé shrugged.   
"I understand that the Viceroy is quite a formidable opponent. I would not want to cross him."   


After a short recess for lunch, the Senate reconvened so that Senator Organa could present the evidence against the Trade Federation that his investigation had produced. Once again, the Alderaan and Neimoidian senate boxes floated before the Supreme Chancellor's podium, but now Palpatine was back in charge. Senator Dod eyed the Chancellor nervously, then leaned over to confer with his new companion, a grayish-green Neimoidian that none of them had seen before.   
"Come on, Dod," Senator Organa taunted. "You don't have to ask your pal there if you knew the guy was a Sith. Just answer the question."   
"My counsssssselor advises me not to ansssswer that," Dod finally said. Organa's eyebrows shot up.   
"Your counselor, huh? This mope is your counselor?" Organa gazed around the Senate chambers with a _Do you believe this crap?_ look on his face. He abruptly returned his attention to Dod. "What makes you think you need a counselor all of a sudden?" The Neimoidian remained silent. "Now see, you lawyerin' up like this makes me think maybe you know you're in a jackpot here."   
"I - " the Neimoidian began. Organa cut him off.   
"Give me one good reason the Special Committee shouldn't slap your government with a notice to pay reparations to the planetary governments of Corellia and Naboo. Go ahead, Dod. I dare ya. 'Cause that's what's gonna happen. It's just a matter of time. And between your deals with the Sith and Neimoidian involvement in building illegal cloning technology - not to mention that slave ring you were getting ready to set up - you mopes are in it up to your necks."   


_Several weeks later..._   


"Look at all those stars," Palpatine murmured in Nubian. He held his infant son up so that Nick - the nickname they'd given little Anakin - could see out the transport's window. Nick burbled and cooed happily. Palpatine smiled and kissed his son's head, resting his mouth against the soft copper locks, inhaling their clean baby scent. "We're going home."   
"We're about to land," Sabé said, coming up behind him with their daughter in her arms. Palpatine shifted his son so that he could put his arm around Sabé. Patty - the nickname they'd bestowed upon little Padmé - craned her neck to burble at her brother.   
"I wonder what sort of welcome we'll receive," Palpatine mused. "Perhaps there will be mobs in the street, shouting for my resignation." Sabé shrugged.   
"The facts of your birth matter not. You are every bit as Nubian as I, Palpatine."   
"I am doubtful that everyone will see things that way."   
"It doesn't matter what happens. We will be together regardless."   
"But what sort of future will our children have?" he wondered.   
"I have been thinking of that myself," Sabé admitted. "And you are not going to like my conclusion." Palpatine's eyebrows went up.   
"Oh?" he asked. "Don't tell me you want them trained as Jedi," he teased. Sabé bit her lip.   
"Well..." she began. Palpatine stared at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" she demanded. "Our children should be trained to use their powers! What if -" He shook his head, still laughing.   
"Oh Sabé," he said, pulling her more tightly against him. "I agree!"   
"You do?" she asked in disbelief.   
"Yes, darling, I do. And assuming we will be staying on Coruscant, there is no reason they must be sent to the Temple for fostering. Otherwise..." He shrugged. "I am sure we can work something out. That's assuming the Council even accepts them, of course." Sabé nodded, relieved.   
"I was afraid to bring up the subject," she admitted. "I thought you were going to put up a fight about it."   
"And I the same. We must learn to communicate better." He leaned over to kiss her.   
"Aunt! Uncle!" Leia called, running up the corridor towards them. "Look at my grown-up dress!" Leia twirled, showing off her new gown of pink silk, cut in the Nubian style with puffed sleeves and tapered wrists. Luke followed behind at a more sedate pace, clearly unhappy to be confined in his miniature Nubian robes done in green silk.   
"You don't look very happy, Luke," Palpatine observed. The little boy scowled.   
"I hate getting dressed up. You can't run, you can't play, and Mummy said if I get these nice clothes muddy, she'll kill me."   
"At least you look fit to be part of the Royal party," Obi-Wan observed mildly as he ambled up the hallway towards them. "You usually look like a little urchin."   
"He IS a little urchin," Anakin said as he approached.   
"Like father, like son," Palpatine murmured.   
"No kidding," Anakin agreed amiably, gesturing at the baby Palpatine held. "Check out little Copper Top there."   
"At least he comes by it honestly," Sabé said, laughing. Padmé hurried up the corridor to join them.   
"How do I look?" she asked Anakin, adjusting the skirt of her deep purple gown and hastily checking her white make-up in the reflection of the transport's window.   
"Like a vision," Anakin assured her, taking her in his arms and bending to kiss her lips. She pulled away at the last second, giving him an "air kiss" instead.   
"No kissing until after we land," she told him. "You'll mess up my make-up." Anakin shook his head, sighing.   
"You believe this?" he asked the group in general.   
"Kissing girls gives you cooties," Luke reminded his father sagely. "That's why YOU don't kiss girls, right Obi-Wan?" he asked. Obi-Wan pretended not to hear the question.   
"It's good to be home," Padmé murmured as the transport touched down and the noise of the engines gradually subsided. The transport's ramp unsealed and began to open with a pneumatic hiss. Sunlight filled the corridor from outside as the ramp lowered. The group peered outside, surprised by the sight that greeted them.   
Thousands of cheering Nubians lined the streets in front of the Palace. When the Queen appeared at the top of the ramp with her consort, the cheers intensified. Padmé walked down the ramp, followed by Anakin and their twins. Obi-Wan appeared in the transport's doorway, and the cheering swelled once again. The Jedi Master blushed at the attention, waving shyly at the crowd as he descended the ramp to stand somewhat behind the Royal party. A small hovering microphone appeared at Padmé's side, buzzing around like an oversized bug. She waited for the cheering to subside somewhat before she spoke.   
"People of Naboo," she began, speaking in Nubian, her words echoing throughout the city square. "Every year we come together at this time to commemorate the Battle for Naboo. This year, the remembrance of that event is sweetened somewhat by the knowledge that at long last, those who caused our suffering are being made to answer for it. While the Neimoidians can never return to us those who suffered and died during their illegal occupation of our sovereign world, at least their crimes against us have been acknowledged by the rest of the Republic and reparations will be paid." She paused, her eyes sweeping over the assembled crowd. When she spoke again, she chose her words very deliberately. "It is because of Chancellor Palpatine's tenacity, his refusal to allow that atrocity to pass unpunished, that we are able to enjoy such satisfaction. Truly he has served his homeworld well." The crowd began to cheer again, and Padmé judged the moment to be right. She glanced back towards the transport, motioning for the rest of the group to join her. When Palpatine and Sabé appeared, each carrying an infant, the cheering intensified, reaching a crescendo as they walked down the ramp together. When they reached the Royal party, Palpatine handed the baby he carried to his wife, preparing to bow to his Queen. With a gesture, she stopped him. He frowned, puzzled.   
Very slowly, so that no one could possibly miss the gesture or its importance, Padmé turned to face Palpatine and sank to the ground in a deep curtsey. Into the astonished silence that followed, Padmé spoke quietly but very plainly. "Welcome home to Naboo, Lord Palpatine. Always you and your family will be welcome among us at court." She rose to her feet, motioning Sabé and the babies forward. As the cheering erupted again, Anakin nudged the astounded Chancellor.   
"Hey Palpatine," he said.   
"What, Anakin?" Palpatine asked, glancing over at the Jedi. Anakin gave him a huge grin.   
"I told you so."   


FINIS. 


End file.
